free! jancember 2010/11 / that high hummus intake magazine from citr 101.9 fm // supporting vancouver’s independent music communty for over 25 years
os mutantes &
you say party / ok vancouver ok / discorder’s 2010 favourites / simon redekop / db buxton / flash palace
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Editor Jordie Yow Art Director Lindsey Hampton Production Manager Debby Reis Copy Editors Sarah Berman, Steve Louie, Debby Reis Ad Manager Maegan Thomas Under Review Editor Sarah Berman RLA Editor Steve Louie Web Editor Reilly Wood Calendar Listings Debby Reis, Jordie Yow Accounts Manager Corey Ratch Program Guide Bryce Dunn, Debby Reis Official Tweeters Dorothy Neufeld, Debby Reis CiTR Station Manager Brenda Grunau Publisher Student Radio Society of UBC Promotions Intern Dorothy Neufeld Cover Simon Redekop
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Jancember Writers Andrea Bennett, Sarah Berman, Nathaniel Bryce, Katherine Boothroyd, Slavko Bucifal, Sarah Charrouf, Robert Fougere, Andy Hudson, Andrew Kai-Yin McKenzie, Tony Kess, Kamil Krawczyk, Miranda Martini, Kaitlin McNabb, Mark PaulHus, Will Pedley, Andy Resto, Alec J. Ross,Maegan Thomas, Christian Voveris, Sally White, Ming Wong, Alicia Wooding, Angela Yen, Jordie Yow Photographers & Illustrators Merida Anderson, Curtis Collier, Tyler Crich, Anne Emberline, Robert Fougere, Michael Irvine, Steve Louie, Simon Redekop Proofreaders Sarah Berman, Chris-a-riffic (briefly), Simon Foreman, Steve Louie, Debby Reis, Maegan Thomas
Contribute. To submit words to Discorder, please contact: editor. discorder@ gmail.com. To submit images, please contact: artdirector. discorder@ gmail.com.
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©Discorder 2010 by the Student Radio Society of the University of British Columbia. All rights reserved. Circulation 8,500. Discorder is published almost monthly by CiTR, which can be heard at 101.9 FM, online at www.citr.ca, as well as through all major cable systems in the Lower Mainland, except Shaw in White Rock. Call the CiTR DJ line at (604) 822-2487, CiTR’s office at (604) 822-3017, email CiTR at CitrMgr@ams.ubc.ca, or pick up a pen and write #233-6138 SUB Blvd., Vancouver, B.C., V6T 1Z1, Canada.
Discorder.ca is home to loads of content we can’t fit into the print issue of the magazine, like extra Features, Real Live Action and Under RevieW. Check discorder.ca regularly for new articles, photos and all things music related!
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editor’s note
Discorder Magazine is a special project of CiTR 101.9 FM, the campus and community radio station at the University of British Columbia. Discorder is published 11 times a year by UBC’s Student Radio Society and distributed for free throughout Vancouver. • As the creative director of a music and arts magazine, applicants require strong knowledge of current independent and local music, art and culture. As the head editor, applicants must be excellent writers with a good grasp of language, spelling and punctuation. Experience in alternative/independent media is preferred but not required. Knowledge of desktop publishing is an asset. • Other assets include Leadership and creative vision; organizational skills and the ability to multi-task, volunteer management; excellent communication skills; strong initiative; ability to stay calm under pressure Salary: $450 per issue (honourarium is under review) More detailed info is available on our website at www.discorder.ca and click on the link to “Discorder Editor Job Posting” on the left. • To apply, send a resume and a cover letter to Brenda Grunau, CiTR Station Manager, at citrmgr@ams.ubc.ca by Monday, Dec. 13 at 10:00 a.m.. We may interview in advance of the deadline.
The controversial frontman of Brazil’s most important psychedelic band took an hour to chat with one of our reporters about how things are now and how they used to be. It’s really quite interesting and he’s an opinionatd guy. It’s a good read.
11 / d.B. buxton You’ve probably seen this guy busking for drunks on Granville Street. Ever wondered what it’s like and if perhaps he plays music off the street? This Q&A is for you.
12 / you say party Man this band hand really gone through a lot. One of their members took some time from their European tour to talk to us for the first time since a big band upheaval including the death of drummer Devon Clifford and the addition of new members.
14 / flash palace The local intricate post-rockers described their own music as a never-ending laser beam unleashed inside the Taj Mahal. You should probably check out this article just to make sure we’re not lying about this.
16 / ok vancouver ok
Twenty-five Discorder contributors cast their votes and we came up with the 15 bands we think are the “hottest” of the year, by “hot” we mean both busy doing stuff this year and the bestest. Not like sexy or spicy or their physical body temperature.
// features
Discorder needs a new editor!
08 / os mutantes
07 / Textually Active / Adventures in Solitude 20 / Calendar / by Curtis Collier 26 / Program guide 24 / Art Project / Simon Redekop 39 / Charts / CiTR’s Top 100 Albums of the Year
// REGULARS
looking issue that you can read by flipping over the magazine. When you’re done, I suggest visiting their website, www.vancouverisawesome.ca, and bookmarking it. They are very organized and lovely people. We’re going to be having a party with them on Jan. 7 at the Biltmore. You should come out and enjoy yourself. It’s long enough after New Year’s that your hangover will probably have worn off and your liver will be well rested. Also, as this is the final issue of the year, it has a lot of year end lists which, as a fan of music, you probably love to argue about. You can vote for your favourite bands, albums, shows etc. by participating in our Reader Poll. Check out page 23 for details. You can find our favourite local bands of the year on page 18 and our favourite albums of the year in Under Review on page YY. Try not to get too worked up about them, this is just one magazine’s opinion. However, I would like to point out that other people and magazines who make similar lists are all wrong unless their list was identical to ours. Cheers, Jordie Yow
29 / Under Review
// reVIEWS
Dear Discorder: It has been lovely making this magazine for you to read, but I am afraid that I must be leaving. I have learned a lot editing this magazine. It has always been challenging and (except financially) it has been very rewarding. I will miss everyone that I have worked with on the magazine and I wish you all the best—and look forward to seeing you about town. It is a happy moment though because that means Discorder will be getting a new editor who will be taking the magazine in exciting new directions, and that editor could be you, or someone you know. Check out our ad for the position (below) for details or check www.discorder.ca for the link to the posting. You’ll also notice that there’s twice the normal magazine here! We are very excited to have collaborated with Vancouver Is Awesome to give them a chance to put out a physical incarnation of their excellent website which is devoted to the positive aspects of Vancouver. If you’re ever feeling gloomy about living in Vancouver, a quick visit to their website will pick you up and remind you what a great city we live in. Bob Kronbauer and Co. have put together a lovely
table of contents // jancember 2010/11
One of our reporters took some time to visit Jeff Johnson, a.k.a. OK Vancouver OK, and get into his head. Did you know he’s planning a grandiose musical? Also, he makes lovely music, you should check it out.
18 / OUr 15 Favourite bands of 2010
Animal Bodies / Babe Rainbow / Boogie Monster / Caving / Falklands / the Good Ones / Kids & Explosions / Olenka & the Autumn Lovers / the Russian Futurists / Small Black / Tight Solid / Twin Crystals / Zola Jesus
35 / Real Live Action Best Coast / Dean Wareham plays Galaxie 500 / the Morning Benders / Myelin Sheaths / the Soft Pack / She & Him / Teenage Fanclub
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textually active //
Grant Lawrence – Adventures in Solitude Publisher: Harbour Publishing Co. by Maegan Thomas
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s accessible and wryly funny as his writing, Grant Lawrence visited the Vancouver Book Club (a Vancouver is Awesome initiative) and talked about his experiences living, writing and touring his first book, Adventures in Solitude. (Plus, there was free wine so that was great.) Adventures in Solitude is the account of how Grant Lawrence grew to love the wonders and dangers of a little place called Desolation Sound, and it is largely a tale of his own self discovery. The Sound is available only with a boat and an iron will; it is a glorious paradise in the summer and so dangerously stormy and secluded in the winter as to drive people batshit crazy (a.k.a. “going bush”). The collection of stories and ruminations in Adventures in Solitude are funny, poignant, informative, deeply personal, violent and strange—most often they are a combination of two, three or all of these. The characters, from Russell the yuppie lawyer turned warmhearted hermit stoner to bizarro-land Santa Claus Bernard the German to the morose Captain Vancouver to Lawrence and his family and friends, each go through captivating journeys that highlight
Lawrence's talents as a storyteller. When he visited Vancouver is Awesome, Discorder was there and got to know a little bit about the inspiration and development of his Adventures. We discussed family relationships, the place of “truth” in writing, Canadian literature and the public lashing of Captain Vancouver after his return from his “discovery” of what Grant describes as “the bipolar central character” of the book. Having been a rock star, a radio host and now successful a author, it’s a surprise to learn that his ultimate dream job is yet to be had—late night talk show host a lá Johnny Carson. Lawrence is a paragon of Canadian credibility for a multitude of reasons, one of which is his position as “host with the most” of the CBC Radio 3 Podcast. One of the features of this institution is the “90-second egg,” where Grant puts rapid fire questions to his guests, leaving no room for thought or lies. I put a version of this tradition to Grant about Adventures in Solitude, as well as his adventures in music and radio.
Introduce yourself:
treated by the female Bill Cosby of Wales.
What’s your worst fear?
Grant Lawrence, CBC radio host/musician/author.
Tegan or Sara?
Fire.
Hometown:
First band you saw live:
West Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Both are very funny/cool, but I’ll say Tegan since I know her better.
Best band name from CBC3 podcast:
Last thing you stole:
What is your best quality?
The Apostle of Hustle
Geez... tough one, believe it or not. Probably something from... Starbucks? Their cashiers confuse easily. More like not charging me by mistake rather than stealing. Is there a difference? [Author’s note: Yes.]
Loyalty
What do you believe but cannot prove?
Baking chocolate chip cookies / gasoline. [Author’s note: I purposefully did not clarify this response as it is very entertaining to imagine Grant really loving the smell of those items combined.]
Worst band name: AIDS Wolf
Best tour moment so far: Book tour or rock tour? Book tour: Boyd Devereaux, Stanley Cup Champion with the Detroit Red Wings, came to the book launch in Toronto! Rock tour: Flying in to Japan in 2000 and finding out our first show in Tokyo was sold-out.
That all the stories in Adventures in Solitude are true, sort of.
If you could only bring one album to Desolation Sound what would it be?
ZZ Top
Worst quality? Temper
Favourite smell:
Worst tour moment:
Billy Joel Glass Houses
What’s the most memorable record shop you’ve visited in Canada:
Book tour: Doing the Vancouver Is Awesome book club discussion with a fully formed chocolate chip stuck to my lower lip, everyone thinking it was untreated, month-old herpes. [Authors note: We thought he had a cut! We were being polite! Grant’s stories often center on injury or potential injury and he did in fact cut himself at the reading.] Rock tour: getting violent food poisoning in England, hallucinating that the Queen Mother was shitting on my chest, missing two gigs, eventually ending up in a Welsh hospital being
Favourite “Canadian Definition” [Author’s note: The
Fred’s Record Shop, St. John’s Newfoundland.
podcast also sometimes features a segment where a guest gives their favourite term that is noted specifically as Canadian in the dictionary.] Crokinole! The greatest Canadian board game of all time!
Who needs a slap about the face?
If you could have one superhero power what would it be? To be invisible.
Rob Ford, Mayor of Toronto.
What is Canada? A massive small town. The Vancouver Book Club was generously hosted by the fun and friendly Sitka Books on West 4th Avenue. After you read the rest of our Jancember edition, check out an excerpt of Adventures in Solitude in the Vancouver is Awesome print edition by flipping this whole thing over.
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By Andrew Kai-Yin Mackenzie illustration by tyler crich With transcription assistance from: Andy Hudson, Kaitlin McNabb, Saralyn Purdie, Andy Resto, Sally White, Alicia Wooding
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ergio Dias is the leader of the genre defining Tropicalia band Os Mutantes (the Mutants). In 2009, Os Mutantes released their first album since the ‘70s, Haih... Or Amortecedor, and are currently on tour with Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti. Just before leaving on tour Sergio Dias took some time out of packing to chat with Discorder. This conversation was over an hour long, but we’ve distilled it down to the best bits.
Discorder: To start, I’d like to ask you, especially for all the people that may
not know a lot about Os Mutantes and the whole Tropicalia movement, just to give your own three minute history of everything up until now. Sergio Dias: Wow. [laughs] D: You might be able to have more than three minutes. SD: Yeah I can. During the ‘60s the world suffered a huge transformation, it happened, you know, in America, there was a big change in politics and in social movements and in arts and everything. It was a huge vortex of energy in the entire world—and the world then was much much larger than it is today. You know today is a very small world. It’s so easy to be anywhere and to get information. And the beautiful thing is that all these thing happened
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simultaneously in the ‘60s and at the same time that was happening, things like the Flower Power movement in America, or Beatle Mania in England ... I think the reason why it was so weird, I think it’s because Brazil at the time received information in very truncated bits and pieces, kind of a kaleidoscope of everything. For instance for the Flower Power, we didn’t get the Power, just the Flower, and there was no idea what was going on in Vietnam. We heard about it, but we didn’t know how much involvement was in this. We had our own problems here with the coup d’état and the military government here, so we were basically reflecting what we were feeling and we didn’t really have any concrete connection to any of those movements in Europe or America but it was a very pretty thing to see because it was so instinctive and ... without any planning. And it’s beautiful to look back and see how that thing could happen, and in Brazil it was very, very strong very powerful. Television then was a nice place to be ‘cause there was a lot of cultural and musical programs … and all those things were followed by the entire country and so it was an amazing thing to see. So besides all the political problems we were going through with the military and the government and torture and the movement against it, and there was all this crazy movement which was the Tropicalismo [ed. another name for Tropicalia] which was basically—I wouldn’t call it anarchy
because it was freedom of thought really. So it was funny ‘cause they couldn’t really label us [in the Tropicalismo movement] because we had elements of everything, a bit of American influence, English influence and there was the Communist party and all this mess, like the witches brew, you know, of all these angry ingredients and I think the music and art that came at the time reflected this moment. It was so unique. … It was an amazing cascade of different styles and different modes that were coming and changing everything day by day and that was an a amazing thing ‘cause you learn to assimilate the things very fast and you would respond to it very fast and I think that’s basically what Tropicalismo did in Brazil. D: Yeah. Getting back to the musical thing … It’s funny because, initially, well I’m not sure if you would consider yourself a political band or not? SD: I don’t think we’re a political band, you know, we’re political beings. All the sayings ... permeates our lives, permeates our spirits, and we ... chew it and spit it out, you know, and the way that, whatever comes, all the information is welcome. D: I want to ask about this quote from the liner notes off your second album Mutantes, by Nelson Mota: “He who lives in a consumer society has two alternatives: either participate or be devoured by it; there is no escape from these options.” He’s talking about your commercials for Shell Oil. Like, what do
you think about it? SD: We did a commercial for Shell, but we did it, and we put it on the album as a song [“Algo Mais”]. We didn’t treat it as a thing made specially for this purpose. I wrote the song, and ... we liked it as much as any other song, so we used it in the album as music. I mean, as a piece of composition, you know, it is in the album. I think we, on the other hand, we can devour it also and put it out in another form. D: And, it’s interesting, the way it goes with your name. I mean, it’s almost like you’re mutating. You’re mutating that ad, in a way. SD: Yeah, because the thing is, if you’re never exposed, for example, to the bad things, let’s say, or if your immune system is not ever violated, you’re too fragile. You cannot be that fragile. I think it’s very important for us, as human beings or artists, to be exposed to whatever media that exists, and to be able to make art on any of these medias. That’s the trick, that’s the important thing. For example, let’s say, the guy—I don’t remember his name—the guy who did all those posters in America, remember? In the Second World War? D: I don’t know his name, but I know the ones you’re talking about. SD: Yeah, he did a fantastic job. Or for example, even the French artist [Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec], who did the posters for the Moulin Rouge, beautiful art
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that he created. He was doing that, and he was making [money]. With this, he created an entire new perspective of art, and he was doing it basically for hire. ... And this is, to put it on the same level of any other great artist in France, which is fantastic. And, for example, this guy in the States—which I don’t remember his name, I’m sorry—he was so important in the posters, you know, and was beautiful, the stuff that he did. And there is so many weird things in the world for them. Like that girl [Leni Riefenstahl] that did Adolf Hitler’s films. She invented a bunch of new ways of filming, like moving cameras and all this stuff. When she did the commercial things for the Nazi movement, and even if it was that terrible, evil thing, if you looked at the art aspect, there is the development of art in there. So it is important to be exposed to good and evil. There is no white without black. You have to have a balance. And with yourself, I think you have to be able to live with all these things, to be able to recognize what is good for you and what is not good for you. D: It’s interesting, like, this sort of yin-yang, light-dark thing, because to an extent your, you and Os Mutantes, you were enemies of the state, in a way. SD: But, the state was our enemy, before we decided to do anything. They were the enemy, you know, I mean we were considered the enemy, and they were attacking us. … So we started fighting back. That’s the natural law of survival, you know, if you’re attacked, you fight back. And in terms of art during that period, whenever the censorship, for example, came and said “Oh, you cannot use the word sword in your songs,” we would never change the word. We would mutilate the song and put a noise on top of it. Like, there is a place where it says “armadura e lança” which is like, “armor and spear to ruffle,” and that was not permitted. So we put a noise on top of it, like [makes sound of static or distortion]. … And when we used to perform, we’d just sing with the right lyrics. So we record it and we show that it was censored, you know, that was our way of doing it. We didn’t explode any bombs or anything like that, but just the way that we were, you know, I think that was enough to bother a bunch of people. D: Do you consider yourself a contrarian? A devil’s advocate? SD: A what? I don’t understand, sorry. D: Somebody who says something that’s against the norm at any given time, not necessarily meaning what they say but somebody that's sort of shaking up the system a little bit. SD: I love that. I think it’s very necessary. I think the worst thing in the world is a place where it’s always blue sky, there’s no rain and nothing happened. No, I think you need some tornadoes around, or some earthquakes here and there so you can shake the ground. Otherwise you just fall asleep. I think it's very important to face things and to be able at least to joke about it. I mean, you don't need to be a radical poet that is doing protest songs. Sometimes if you make a good joke out of it, it’s more effective. D: Speaking of the radical poets doing protest songs, what was your relationship, you and Os Mutantes, to people like Gilberto Gil and Tom Ze, contemporaries who may have been more political than others at the time. How did you get into that scene? SD: Well, we were kids. You have to realize that when I was playing with Gil, I was 16 years old. Even though I was coming from a family of politicians—my father was the right arm for one of the governors of Sao Paulo or whatever, and politics was in the house, but never as a huge topic. On the politics side, for the Mutantes, it was totally an anarchical thing because we were kids, and
kids are anarchical. We are against, always, because basically that’s nature. You know, you have to be against the status quo to be able to become a new generation. I think this is basically the longevity of your youth, for how long you are able to keep being like this. … But the great thing for me now was, for example, when we released the last album, Haih... Or Amortecedor. I was lucky enough to re-encounter Tom Ze, in 2007 I think, when we first played in Brazil and he played at the same show. We finally could communicate in an intellectual level. At the [original] time [we met], you know, what would I say to the guy? I was just a kid playing guitar. I was even a virgin, I had never even kissed a girl probably. And now, you know, I think he became one of my best musical partners. And the job that we did in Haih... Or Amortecedor is something that I'm so damn proud of. … D: What’s your relationship like with the contemporary music scene? Like right now, your tour with Ariel Pink, who’s one of the more challenging major artists in the world right now, how did that come about? Did you seek them out? Did he seek you out? SD: No, I don’t know them yet. I know their music, but we’re gonna meet now at the show. I don’t know exactly how this marriage happened, but I think it was probably the sensible thing to do, to put Ariel Pink and Mutantes together, because probably we are the same with a different kind of perspective. I think it will be a fantastic experience for both bands beside the audience because we are going to be able to enjoy each other and this is what it’s all about, you know, living side by side on stage. That’s the great thing. I think it’s going to be a great thing, and maybe something fresh will come out of that. D: Hm. Because it’s really interesting the new Os Mutantes album, Haih... [laughs] SD: Haih... Or Amortecedor. D: Haih... Or Amortecedor. This has not been my strong suit, pronunciation, especially in foreign languages. [The album] surprised me that it’s distinctively Os Mutantes, even though you are the only member left from the band back when you were like Os Mutantes all capital letters. It still sounds like, you said you had that frame of reference when you were recording the album that that’s what you were trying to do and it works. SD: Yeah, I think it’s my job, in terms of putting this album together, was basically to filter. ... When you are under the Mutantes umbrella, it is a total different kind of magic. For example, I would never write a song like “2000 e Agarrum,” as a solo artist. It doesn’t work. I don’t know why. But for Os Mutantes, it makes total sense. And I’m able to do it. And when I’m playing or doing a solo album or something like that, I would go to a total different direction and it’s amazing to see this happening. You know you have no power at all over this thing. And see that you are like a simple antenna really that is picking up some kind of special radio wave and it is basically the Mutantes wave. And it is a fantastic thing because—you should see it happen—most of what you hear on the album is always first take and that is fantastic because it is so fresh. For example, Bia [Mendes] singing “Querida Querida,” that was her first take and she never sang in that region before and I just told her do it, “Try this, try that” and she just did and she just did it in a way. And she was always saying “Oh let me try again, let me try again” and I said “No way,” that’s the take because I knew it was great. And the guitars are always first take and the singing. Most of the stuff is all first take. D: So no auto-tune huh? SD: No way!
you are like a simple antenna really that is picking up some kind of special radio wave and it is basically the Mutantes wave.
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DB Buxton The B is for Busking (not really) written and photographed by robert fougere
Good songs are written by responding honestly to what’s going on around you and to respond honestly you have to be part of what’s going on around you.
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f you’ve walked down Granville Street on a Saturday night within the last year, there is a good chance that you’ve already met Daniel Benjamin Buxton. And chances are you weren’t walking when you passed him: you were probably shaking or shimmying. It’s obvious to even the most obscenely drunk passerby that he didn’t start playing yesterday. DB Buxton is an Edmonton institution, having spent over a decade of shivery winters on the street earning his living and his stripes strumming his heart away. Edmonton’s loss is Vancouver’s gain as he has recently chased his dreams from Dirt City to Rain City and his loyal fans are looking forward to seeing Canada’s premier bluesman collecting his comeuppance. With new management and a new solo album on the horizon in the new year, Discorder photographer Robert Fougere caught up with DB Buxton for a quick sit down.
Discorder: What’s your motivation for playing on the street? DB Buxton: I started doing it when I was really young and it really was just survival. I didn’t do it because I thought it was particularly cool or fun. D: Why do you think more talented musicians don’t busk? DBB: Because it’s horrifying! It’s awful. It’s so painful. If you don’t care about music it’s easy to do. D: What do you think is the friendliest Canadian city for busking? DBB: I would say a place like Toronto or Montreal treat me the best, but that’s because I’ve been doing it so long. I’m so good at doing it, but if I was bad,
I’m sure I’d do really terrible. Toronto is a place where if you’re really good, people will appreciate it and they will step outside of their boundaries to show you they appreciate it. Vancouver, by contrast, is not like that. People are nicer. They’re on average more arty, more cultured, but they’re also more standoffish. When I’m busking here, I mean, I really have to work crowds hard because people will not exit their zones: they’re shyer people. D: How much do you hate playing for drunks? DBB: When I was young, I didn’t use to do any drugs or drink. In my early teens I was kind of wild, but in my later teens I was trying to be super serious about life and at that time it really did depress me and I really kind of hated mankind a lot. You see the worst of people all the time and it makes you bitter. As I got older I realized part of that was my fault. I was elevating myself in my mind as being this genius who has no opportunity or is stuck in this shitty situation and I realized I was kind of on my own high horse and realized I had to stop hating on people and relax and understand that this is life. This is where I’m at. If you’re gonna be an artist, you have to be true to reality, with where you’re at. Good songs are written by responding honestly to what’s going on around you and to respond honestly you have to be part of what’s going on around you. D: You’ve got your trademark guitar, your trademark haircut; how important is your stage persona to your music? DBB: In my early 20s I was completely obsessed. I was so sure that I was gonna be the next Prince or David Bowie or something like that. I was very conscious of these things. When I would do my posters, when I would do anything, it was about creating that image for myself: something that I thought really stood out. What I didn’t realize at the time was that I was just throwing that out into nowhere. There was no sense of context. I just felt that if I act like that, if I present myself like I’m going to be a star, it would just happen. It’ll line up. In Edmonton, that can’t be true. I kind of retreated from that because I took that about as far as I could within that context. D: I’ve read in your bio that you feel as though you’re slowly stumbling towards success. What’s your idea of success? DBB: I would define success for myself as finding my audience, you know, that exists out there in the world but currently doesn’t know who I am. But they’re out there, whoever they are. That’s number one. Number two is being able to have the power to do things the way that I want to be able to do them. I wouldn’t define it as having a bunch of money in my pockets or being famous. Although I’m not anti-those things!
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by Alec j. Ross photo by merida anderson
You Say Party we say hello to them in europe You Say Party has come a long way since 2003, and in the last year they have gone through a period of dramatic transition: You Say Party has dropped the “We Say Die!” from their name out of respect for deceased drummer Devon Clifford who collapsed during a concert at the Rickshaw Theatre. Band members have left the group and been replaced by musicians from the local groups Gang Violence and Hard Feelings. On top of everything, YSP also just released a remix album titled Remixxxx and are currently in the process of a lengthy European tour. Stephen O’Shea (bass) graciously answered some questions for us via email from their tour.
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Discorder: First off, how is Europe? You Say Party: Coming back to Europe after three years absent has been amazing! The audiences have been strong in their response to us, as if no time has passed. They all know the songs from XXXX and that’s been really rewarding. After the band fight at the end of 2007, we weren't sure when we were going to return and this tour has been incredibly healing after the loss of Devon. D: It looks like it just took a few years and now critics are raving about your albums. That buzz is spreading across Canadian campuses and you have gained international recognition. How different do you feel now, compared to when you were playing music in Becky [Ninkovic]’s basement? YSP: The biggest change has been the lineup changes. Having Krista [Loewen] leave the band this past summer has also been hard. She was there in Becky's basement at the first practice. The desire to have fun and play music and entertain is still the same. The Smoking Spokes (our original bike gang) disbanded years ago and we’ve grown and adjusted through the lineup changes. Yet we’ve never picked anyone to be in our band that hasn’t had a strong connection to Abbotsford in some way. So to have Al Boyle and Robert Andow in the band now, they understand the original spirit that the band has, they’ve known us even longer than the band itself. D: “Lonely’s Lunch” is quite the epic music video, where did the idea for it come from? Also, why was it shot on location in India? YSP: After making so many music videos with the band itself performing in the video, we decided that we needed to do something differently. We approached Sean Wainsteim, who directed our “Monster” video in Prague back in 2007, with the idea to try something new. He was intrigued by the opportunity and the challenge and presented us a treatment for the video. Abbotsford has a strong Sikh community that is well integrated into the community at large, and so the suggestion of India didn’t seem that foreign to us at all. We’re very happy with the results and the response that the video has been receiving. D: Remixxxx is out, and it’s delicious. I enjoyed the Teen Daze and Los Campesinos remixes. How did you get in touch with the artists who did the remixes? Was it a joint effort? Or did the label handle it? YSP: I'm friends with both Teen Daze and Tom [Campesinos] from Los Campesinos. It was just a matter of writing them emails asking them if they were interested. It was great to get such awesome remixes from them. (A lot of the other remixers we knew.) The label suggested two other remixes for the album but ultimately we had total control of what songs made it and what songs didn’t. For remix records, I feel the band takes on the role of curator as opposed to being the artist. Usually the music media and fans criticize remix records, but I’ve always taken on the attitude that this is our chance to expose our fans to great artists they may not know. D: During 2008 you all took some time off from the band. Was this a joint decision? YSP: This was a decision of necessity. [In] 2007 we toured our-
selves into the ground. Not many people realize that You Say Party! We Say Die! toured for 16 straight weeks without coming home. At the end of week 14 we had a huge band fight in Berlin and it seemed [like] the end of the band. We managed (with the help of our tour manager Liv Lunde) to resolve the conflict between the two camps in the band and help us get back to a place where we were able to finish the remain two weeks of the tour. What people don’t know is what’s even further behind that. Becky’s health was the worst it’s ever been. Having lost nearly 30 pounds and touring on despite being sick and without a voice during the day, we pushed through sheer exhaustion. The rest of the band was crumbling and we weren’t sure why were even a band at all. Getting home at the end of 2007 and re-evaluting our lives, both personally and together as a band, we realized that we had done ourselves a great disservice. We had to turn down another opportunity to return to Europe in January/February 2008, opening in arenas, and instead focus on healing and recovering. It was months before Becky and I could even return to work. But in March 2008, we took the opportunity to tour China and that was another major turning point. D: These past six months have been a time of transition for your band and us at Discorder are truly sorry for your loss of drummer Devon Clifford. Why did you decide to continue on as a band, and how has Devon’s death altered your outlook? YSP: Losing Devon has been a huge loss for this band. Many people in Vancouver knew Devon and what an amazing personality he was. He touched so many lives. He was a protector in this band and he watched over all of us. It was Derek [Adam], three weeks after Devon’s passing who said we needed to carry on, to work harder than ever and carry Devon’s spirit on. Becky and I were moved and felt we had to do the same as well. Every night at our shows on this European tour Becky has lit a flame and dedicated it to Devon. It’s been incredibly emotional and incredibly healing. The response from the crowds has been nothing but positive and been instrumental in the process of grieving the loss of such an amazing drummer, friend and band mate. D: Your current roster has Al Boyle of Hard Feelings on drums and Robert Andow from Gang Violence on keys, how has Boyle’s and Andow’s musical style contributed to your sound? YSP: Al and Robert have got to be two of the very best musicians in Vancouver and we count ourselves very lucky to have them apart of our band. We’ve played shows opening for their previous bands (WPP, Cadeaux) and have known them both a very very long time. Devon was very close with both of them and it seemed only logical to have them join our band and help us carry on Devon’s spirit. D: Although touring is nothing new to you, does homesickness still affect you? YSP: Not me, my grandmother told me shortly after high school that I was plagued with Wanderlust, and it’s true. Prior to founding YSP!WSD! I was hitchhiking Canada. Seeing Edmondon band the Wolfnote in Charlottetown, P.E.I., I realized that travelling was great, but playing a show every night and travelling was even better. So I came back to Abbotsford and started this band. D: What is next for You Say Party? YSP: We’ve demo’d six brand new songs this fall and we’ve got plans to write more over winter. We’re planning a Canadian tour in the spring with Paperbag label mates Young Galaxy. Also, since I recently received my proper paperwork to return to the USA, for the first time in four years, You Say Party will be returning to touring regularly in the US! Very exciting! After that we plan to get back into the studio and record another record.
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FLA SH P Al ACE
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I want to make this sound like it ’s beside a hot dog stand. By Sarah Berman photo by michael irvine
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f a never-ending laser beam were unleashed inside the Taj Mahal, would it make a sound? Though they have no scientific evidence to back it up, all four members of Flash Palace are willing to bet it would sound like an intricately woven post-rock jam with carefully hidden Josh Groban samples. At least that’s the soundscape bassist Ellis Sam described while discussing his band’s debut EP Some Misinterpreted Sunsets. “There’s probably a guy from Peru or Poland walking around and everyone has their shoes off,” explained Sam, who also supplies electronic samples and “vocal drones” on the record. “And this laser is just constantly bouncing around.” Bouncing light is an appropriate metaphor, as the band’s creative process seems to involve a jumbled back-and-forth exchange between sounds and visuals. “We grew up with lots of TV and video games with lots of repeated imagery and sound,” Sam said. With a scene from the 1989 computer game Sim City frozen on the television screen in front of us—in a house where three of the band members live—lasers and architectural imagery somehow begin to make sense. “We used to watch TV and put music on and try to sync it up,” drummer Mac Lawrie explained. A common practice among stoners and bored teenagers everywhere, this pastime seems to inspire poignant loops and transitions on tracks like “sasa” and “double/day.” “We actually did that last night with Carl Sagan and Super Mario,” chimed in guitarist Samuel Dzierzawa. “He explains the fourth dimension,” added Jon Scherk, another multi-instrumentalist and singer in the band. Members of Flash Palace consistently finish each others’ sentences. And it’s no wonder: the four 19- and 20-year-olds have been friends and making music together since the seventh grade. “These guys used to be in a band called the Butterfly Lovers,” explained Sam, noting the group sounded like a math-rockier version of Tool. “They put out a thousand copies of their first EP, and gave everyone at high school a CD. It was pretty sweet. I was a fan.” “Then Jon and I were in a pop band called Us Us Us,” he continued. “And together we started this math rock band called Trusty Backpack. It was pretty awkward. Funny. Like lots of loops and me yelling a lot.” It wasn’t until last year’s Shindig battle of the bands that the name Flash Palace finally stuck. “I just kind of blurted it out,” Sam recalled (the group was calling themselves Tigerhead at the time). “But I lisped it so it sounded like ‘Flesh Palace.’ So people were saying ‘sweet job Flesh Palace.’ It was weird.” Flash Palace/Tigerhead didn’t advance to the semi-finals on that fateful evening. (Much to the chagrin of Discorder writer Brenda Grunau, who wrote that the foursome “rocked out like Tortoise.” She subsequently declared them “the best set of the night.”) [ed. For those curious both Flash Palace and Jody Glenham lost this night to Lengthy List of Lovers.]
Equally motivated by Enya, grapefruits and pre-show chicken burgers, Sam said Flash Palace creates entirely new soundscapes during each of their live performances. “We don’t want to play the same set over and over,” he said. “We’re there to make one big piece of music that like, feels right to us,” he said. “In our sets we don’t try and stop our music—we just try and keep it continually going, which I think puts people off because they’re like ‘When do I clap?’ you know, ‘When do I yell ‘Yeah! Sweet!’?’” “We work up to our shows,” added Scherk. “We get as many new ideas into that show so it’s interesting.” The young band recently opened for Brasstronaut at the Rickshaw, and has even had a chance to play alongside Deakin, a former member of Animal Collective. But when asked if their shows have been well received, responses were decidedly modest. “Nobody booed,” Lawrie said. Though the band’s recorded work feels undeniably fresh, Flash Palace’s musical influences are surprisingly vintage. “Marvin Gaye is one of my favourite musicians,” Sam gushed. “He just gets in that really spiritual place in his music and you can’t replicate that.” And Sam makes a point of noting his love of Enya is by no means ironic. “My dad played me the Enigma CD and the Enya CD like every day,” he explained. “I put it on the other day, and the amount of subtle techno beats and then long delayed vocals … that kind of like new age sound kind of creeps in on everything I write.” Apart from the “classics” (in quotations because Limp Bizkit was also mentioned in this category), Flash Palace are quick to praise similar bedroom composers. “Azeda Booth is probably one of our favourite bands, and they’re probably one of the most underrated bands in Canada,” Sam said. “They’ve just made their own sonic world.” Flash Palace are on their way to achieving their own sonic world, having recently moved in to a shared house in East Van. After years of angry neighbours, the band finally has a wood-panelled basement jam space to call their own. “We’ve been here about a month,” Scherk said. “We were working out of our parents’ basements and always changing jam spaces. And so we thought having our own space would be the best thing to do.” Beginning in 2011, the band plans to put shows on hold for a while to focus on recording a second album. “We’re going to record all our new album here. And do like, all the proper technical tweaks at a bigger studio,” Sam said. “We get in a room together and just keep on jamming out parts and like talk with our instruments a lot.” “We’re going to work really hard on it,” he added. “I’m always thinking like, where can I take the sound. Like, I want to make this sound like it’s beside a hot dog stand.” “That’s the golden chalice,” Scherk agreed.
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ok vancouver ok By Will Pedley / illustration by anne emberline
Making Sense Through Song
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If you’re having a good time, then have a really good time and just be happy that you are happy right then, in the moment, because that ’s all there is.
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ince 2005 OK Vancouver OK, otherwise known as Jeff Johnson, has released four albums, each one with songs as consistently engaging, entertaining, surprising and moving as the last. From the playful melodica driven collaboration with Chris-a-Riffic, “Love’s So Great,” to the simultaneously dramatic but pretty piano of “This Saint Jeffrey,” to the delicate, shimmering acoustic guitar of “My Favourite Everytime,” Johnson exhibits a kaleidoscopic depth of feeling and sound that shares similarities with, but is not limited to, the likes of Phil Elverum, Bill Callahan or Tim Kinsella. While his recorded output showcases his ability to take the listener on an immersive sonic expedition, Johnson’s live performances offer a very different experience. “I feel like I’m a receptor of energies. Every time I play I’m always conscious of what’s going on around me, which has an effect on what I’m doing. I want to try to present something worth listening to, something real. A lot of the time I’m ad-libbing or experimenting with songs, changing songs in the moment because I feel like it,” Johnson explained. As well as being a talented multi-instrumentalist, Johnson possesses a very powerful voice that conveys a tremendous weight of emotion. When he’s singing at full volume and his vocal chords seem to be on the brink of collapse—the effect is both disarming and poignant. “For me [singing is] a way to vent and get these feelings out. Maybe I’ll choose to play a song because I want to remember somebody or I want to remember a feeling. I want to do the best I can to perform these songs how I felt when I originally wrote them,” Johnson said. OK Vancouver OK’s latest album, I Feel Nice/Houses, will be released sometime between now and February. “It’ll be at the right time,” Johnson assured. Among the highlights of the album is “Jeff Tree,” a song about reincarnation with a simple two chord acoustic strum and a heart-breakingly exquisite melody sung with a tender dexterity. Another understated arrangement is used to great effect on the hypnotic, reverb heavy “Life’s A Beach,” which epitomizes one of the defining characteristics of OK Vancouver OK—the convergence of tragic beauty and uncontained joy. In contrast, the clicks, booms and whirrs of “I Feel Nice” are jarring and harsh with Johnson making a cheap keyboard sound huge and enveloping. The result is like being underwater—unnerving yet liberating. His last album, I Get So Drunk About Songs About Love, was released in 2007. So how does he feel about the long gap between releases? “It feels bad but it had to be that way,” Johnson explained. “The circumstances of my life had led me to travelling and exploring and living in Europe with no money for months in the middle of winter, which led me to realise ‘Oh shit! How am I going to get home? I’ve got to set myself up a tour and make some money,’ and I did.
And the most incredible things happened along that journey.” Considering the remarkable quality of the music, it is odd that OK Vancouver OK is still relatively unknown and indeed, unsigned. It isn’t something that Johnson has ever pursued, and although he hasn’t formally been approached by a record label, reps have shown interest at his performances, asking him to send them demos. “If I had a weird feeling about it then I wouldn’t even bother,” Johnson said. “I don’t want to record for a label, I like to do it myself,” he elaborated. “It’s a really hard one for me because on one hand I’d like to be able to perform in front of more people, but on the other hand I’m scared of that because along with all the good, there’s going to be just as much bad. I have to be ready for that to happen. Maybe I don’t want that, I’m happy right now. If I had a huge stage and thousands of people, what would I even do with that? How am I supposed to source how I feel and the energy of the room?” In addition to the release of his new album, Johnson is also planning a musical. “I got really excited about that, but I’ve learned that there are so many more things that I need to do before I can make it as great as I want it to be,” he said. “It might take me 20 years, but it is something worth doing. [The musical] is inspired by a friend of mine [Patrick Geraghty of Role Mach.] … It’s gonna be big. It’s going to have a huge volcano in it and it’s gonna be really pretty. There are no words, no singing, just music and I have in my mind that there will be over a hundred people in the cast.” It would be easy to be sceptical that such an elaborate and somewhat bewildering plan could ever be made a reality. However, when it comes from the vivid imagination that fuels OK Vancouver OK, it might just be possible. It might just be absolutely awesome. “There’s an idea that you have, that I have, to live” goes a line in the song “Life’s A Beach.” When asked, Johnson elaborated on his lyrics, “I feel like everyone knows what I’m talking about in some kind of way and sometimes it’s so difficult for me to explain in words. But it’s this idea to feel like a child or to feel free and to feel like you’re being loved. I hope that everyone has felt that—to live and to feel really alive, to not have to go home because work tomorrow says so. If you’re having a good time, then have a really good time and just be happy that you are happy right then, in the moment, because that’s all there is.” Like many songwriters before him, Johnson is simply attempting to make sense of the world, share his ideologies and articulate his thoughts through song. On paper, it isn’t immediately clear what he means but, when heard in the context of OK Vancouver OK, somehow it all makes sense.
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robocop on a unicorn by the internet that better everyday magazine from CiTR 101.9 fm
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Discorder’s FAVOURITE 15 Local Bands of 2010 As all good music journalists know, the end of the year means that it’s time to make a list of what was important that happened in music this year. So about 25 of us at Discorder got our heads together and hammered out what we thought the hottest local bands of the year were. After all the votes were cast and the lists were made, this is what we came up with. You may disagree. That is OK, lists are like that. (You can have your own say about what music was important by taking Discorder’s 2010 Reader Poll. See page 23 for details!)
1. Adrian Teacher, Amanda Panda and Jay Oliver’s band have been on the tip of everyone in Vancouver’s tongue all year. Their stellar 2010 album, Mount Benson, contained a combo of heartwarming songs that balance a punk d.i.y. attitude with beautiful pop songwriting and masterful rock showmanship. They are master performers and the only complaint I’ve ever heard about one of their shows is that it was too short.
2. Unfamiliar Records’ genre-spanning band, Brasstronaut, put Mt. Chimaera out this year, and it rightly garnered a lot of praise in the Canadian music press. The band’s genre is hard to pin down, but there’s no denying their talent shines through.
3. Before their album Public Domain was even officially named, their fans were fervently swapping around demos of the songs that would become this album. You could see that this band hit a nerve when they’d play to an audience who knew the words so well that lead singer Megan McDonald would just hand her mic to someone in the audience and sip her chardonnay while whoever was holding the mic allowed as many people as possible to sing along.
electronica, reggae, pop and dub, and consistently gets their audiences moving.
The songstress has garnered praise across Canada. You should pick up her album.
6. Probably the most established band on this list, their place here is to show that you don’t need to be new to be one of the most talked about and interesting bands in Vancouver. Check out their latest, Wilderness Heart, if you don’t believe us.
11. The proud Vancouverite band has been making TV appearances and dropping excellent singles this year. They are a big influence at home and the next generation has even started playing covers of their music.
7. Cam Reed, a.k.a. Babe Rainbow, seems to open for every band since he released his EP Shaved. The dark dubby album that brought him international acclaim has also drawn attention to Reed’s musical abilities, which have often been overshadowed by his ability to organize music festivals, like Music Waste.
12. If you like metal than you already know why Bison B.C. is on this list. They are the best metal band Vancouver has to offer and their music gets all our metal writers’ ears to perk up. Their latest album Dark Ages came out this year and was definitely one of the best releases.
8. Grimey dirt rockers Ladyhawk, a staple of Vancouver’s live scene, haven’t put out a new album since 2008, nevertheless, the fact that so many of our contributors voted for them indicates that you don’t need an album to be talked about and recognized as one of the best bands of the year, you just need a stupendous live show.
13. If there’s one flaw with Vancouver’s noise scene, it’s that it’s hard to listen to the music outside of live performances, but Ahna has made an excellent effort to fix that by putting out their debut self-titled album, an intense dark and crushing release.
4. The immensely talented songwriter Mac DeMarco’s band is one of the best in town. The songs he writes and performs, seemingly effortlessly, are little lo-fi gems and well worth the listen. They are excellent and can’t get enough credit.
9. We think Dan Mangan’s importance can be summed up by what Nathaniel Bryce said when he put him on his list. “Come on, he’s sold out the Vogue four times this year and pretty much everywhere else as well.” How many local bands can sell out the Vogue four times in one year? We can’t think of any others.
5. It’s good to know that people in Vancouver still like to dance and Humans proves it with every show and recording they release. Their music draws on
10. Finally, after five years of playing in the city, Olivia Fetherstonhaugh (more commonly known as Fanshaw) released Dark Eyes on Mint Records.
14. When will these guys release something for people to put into their music playing machines? The duo makes excellent dance/punk/noise music and plays lots of shows. If you haven’t seen them then you have not yet acknowledged that your father probably wanted to fuck Isabella Rossellini.
15. We wish these guys would move to Vancouver so we could all see them play more often, but the Victoria natives play here enough to build a following for their bluesy garage rock. One of the funnest bands this side of the Rockies.
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december
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illustration by curtis collier
Decide what you’re doing for New Year’s.
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Kid Koala, Run With the Heard Kid Koala, Run With the @ Biltmore Heard, the Killing Time Quartet @ Biltmore
John Grant @ Media Club
Boxing day. Go box some- Daniel Wesley @ Commodore one.
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FRIDAY
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Ice Cream Social New Year’s @ Biltmore Black Wizard @ Brandiz Breakfast Mountain, Wampire @ Goodie MSTRKRFT @ Hastings Racecourse
Xmas Eve. Try and leave work early.
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Meatdraw, Kathryn Calder, David Vertesi, Rococode @ Biltmore Fake Shark-Real Zombie @ Cobalt
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Bison B.C., Purple Rhinestone Eagle @ Biltmore Animal Bodies, Cosmetics, Dirty Beaches @ Cobalt The Creaking Planks, Pineapple, Resorts, Dandi Wind, the SSRIs @ Little Mountain
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3 Mint Records Ridiculously Early Xmas Party @ Biltmore Peace, Womankind, Woolworm @ Cobalt Hannah Georgas, Fugitives @ Performance Works Duffy & the Doubters @ Zulu We Need Surgery, Supercassette @ Astoria
Ch. 3x4, Ahna, Troll Rogue @ Biltmore
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Greenbelt Collective, Walter TV @ Biltmore Black Wizard, Grass City, Ancients, If We Are Machines, Conscience @ Waldorf
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Tame Impala, Stardeath & the White Dwarfs @ Biltmore Lakefield, byStarlight, Blank Cinema @ Forum Minto, A Pale Blue, Aunts & Uncles, Jody Glenham @ Railway Bahamas, Doug Paisley @ St. James
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Change your mind and decide Vancougar, Catamaran, the to do something else for New Safety Show @ Biltmore Year’s.
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Killing Joke @ Venue Radio Zero & No Promises Ben Lai’s Birthday!: Fine Mist, Christmas Party @ Biltmore Wizerdz, Safety Show, Chrisa-Riffic @ Railway
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Gypsy Market, Juvenile Hall Brasstronaut, Bend Sinister, @ Biltmore Treelines @ Biltmore The Greenhornes, Hacienda @ Media Club
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THURSDAY
2 1 Black Mountain, the Black Lucero @ Biltmore The Dandy Warhols, Blue GiAngels, Sipreano ant @ Commodore @ Commodore Horse Feathers, Y La Bamba Rudolf, Isla Taco, Something Nautical @ Princeton @ Media Club The Queers, the Riptides, Kepi Bonobo, Tokimonsta Ghoulie @ Red Room @ Rickshaw Leonard Cohen @ Rogers
WEDNESDAY
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TUESDAY
Sajia Sultana, Cris Derksen, Katie Caron Band, Watermelon @ Railway Stornoway @ Biltmore Big Freedia & the Divas, Rusty Lazer @ Fortune
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MONDAY
The Books, the Black Heart Black Hat Villain, Channel The Temper Trap, the Racoons Procession @ Vogue Eight, TV Heart Attack, Ali @ Commodore Milner, Megan McNeil, Chloe Anne Lloyd @ Biltmore
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SUNDAY
For January’s events visit our Calendar page on www.discorder.ca or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DiscorderMag.
Open presents. See loved ones. Maybe someone will throw a house party.
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Oh No! Yoko, the Black Tops, Quiet Kids, Bangarang @ Forum Tricky @ Venue Hermetic, Collapsing Opposites, Thee Ahs @ Nyala Fan Death @ Biltmore (late)
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Chris Walter’s Book Release @ Funkys Fallen Decade, Without Mercy, Theocide, My New Enemy, Until Dawn @ Rickshaw How to Appreciate Chinese Opera @ Vancouver Public Library
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B-Lines, Yung Mums, Richard Catwrangleur @ A Dental Lab The Dayglo Abortions, snfu, Fat Joe Satan @ Astoria The Matinee @ Railway Galgamex, Burning Ghats, Anion, the Villain Avian Symphony @ Rickshaw Piper Davis @ Biltmore
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SATURDAY
Take our poll and vote for your favourite band, favourite venue, favourite coffee shop and more! You'll also get a chance to tell us all about your close, personal relationship with Discorder. Talk to our poll-ar bear! And the best part? There's prizes! All fully completed polls will be entered into a draw to win a $10 gift certificate and two pounds of JJ Bean Coffee or a $25 gift certificate to Sitka Books and Art! Not to mention all respondents will garner Discorder's love and appreciation. Fill out the poll now by visiting www.discorder.ca Prizes generously provided by: Go to www.jjbeancoffee.com and check out The Harambee Blend presented by JJBean, CBC3 and Shad. For each pound sold of the Harambee Blend, JJ Bean will be contributing $2 to the Canadian Harambee Education Society (CHES - www.canadianharambee.ca), a charitable organization that pays the school fees of girls in Kenya and Tanzania.
Sitka Books & Art
on W4th. They have books and art. READ LOCAL. Visit www.sitkabooksandart.com.
art project // simon redekop
Simon Redekop is a multidisciplinary artist who lives and works in Vancouver. His work incorporates painting, sculpture, video effects and performance. He has exhibited his paintings internationally as a collective artist over the past ten years. Redekop has been involved in numerous collaborative projects, most recently “Teh� with Patrick Cruz at Blim. He is currently working on a sound and video installation with Dustin Cole and finishing a new group of paintings for upcoming shows which will be announced soon. When not creating art, Redekop enjoys soccer, going to the steam room and drinking coffee. Check out more work at www.simonredekop.com and www.youtube.com/vitamindion.
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// CiTR 101.9 FM PROGRAM GUIDE Discorder suggests listening to CiTR online at www.citr.ca every day. SUNDAY
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CiTR Ghost Mix
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CiTR Ghost Mix
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CiTR Ghost Mix
Friday Sunrise (Eclectic)
6am
8 9
Synchronicity (Talk) The Saturday Edge (Roots)
Sweet And Hot (Jazz)
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CiTR Ghost Mix
THURSDAY
CiTR Ghost Mix
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WEDNESDAY
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CiTR Ghost Mix CiTR Ghost Mix
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SUNDAY Shookshookta (Talk) 10-11am A program targeted to Ethiopian people that encourages education and personal development. Kol Nodedi (World) 11am-12pm Beautiful arresting beats and voices emanating from all continents, corners and voids. Always rhythmic, always captivating. Always crossing borders. The Rockers Show (Reggae) 12-3pm Reggae inna all styles and fashion. Blood On The Saddle (Roots) 3-5pm Alternating Sundays Real cowshit-caught-in-yerboots country. Chips With Everything (Pop) 5-6pm Alternating Sundays British pop music from all decades. International pop (Japanese, French, Swedish, British, US, etc.), ‘60s soundtracks and lounge. Queer FM (Talk) 6-8pm Dedicated to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transexual communities of Vancouver. Lots of human interest features, background on current issues and great music. queerfmradio@gmail.com Rhythmsindia (World) 8-9pm Alternating Sundays Featuring a wide range of music from India, including popular music from the 1930s to the present; Ghazals and Bhajans, Qawwalis, pop and regional language numbers. Techno Progressivo (Dance) 8-9pm Alternating Sundays A mix of the latest house music, tech-house, prog-house and techno. Mondo Trasho (Eclectic) 9-10pm The one and the only Mondo Trasho with Maxwell Maxwell—don’t miss it!
Trancendance (Dance) 10pm-12am Join us in practicing the ancient art of rising above common ideas as your host DJ Smiley Mike lays down the latest trance cuts. trancendance@ hotmail.com Throwdown fm (Dance / Electronic) 12-1am Hosts Downtown Stacee Brown and Jen Slator are proud to announce that playlists for each and every show will be 100 per cent Vancouver, BC based underground music of the subbass generation. This means you’ll never hear a track that’s not from our west coast province of BC We call ourselves collectively: The Local Union 604. ThrowdownFM@gmail.com
MONDAY Breakfast With The Browns (Eclectic) 8-11am Your favourite Brownsters, James and Peter, offer a savoury blend of the familiar and exotic in a blend of aural delights. breakfastwiththebrowns@ hotmail.com Stranded (Eclectic) 11am-12pm Join your host Matthew for a weekly mix of exciting sounds, past and present, from his Australian homeland. And journey with him as he features fresh tunes and explores the alternative musical heritage of Canada. Alternative Radio (Talk) 12-1pm Hosted by David Barsamian. Parts Unknown (Pop) 1-3pm An indie pop show since 1999, it’s like a marshmallow sandwich: soft and sweet and best enjoyed when poked with a stick and held close to a fire. Mantis Cabinet (Eclectic) 3-4pm The Rib (Eclectic) 4-5pm Explore the avant-garde world of music with host Robyn Jacob on the Rib.
From new electronic and experimental music to improvised jazz and new classical! So weird it will blow your mind! News 101 (Talk) 5-6pm Vancouver’s only live, volunteer-produced, student and community newscast. Every week, we take a look back at the week’s local, national and international news, as seen from a fully independent media perspective. Career Fast Track (Talk) 6-6:30pm Join host and author Philippe Desrochers as he teaches you how to dramatically increase your income doing work you love. Sore Throats, Clapping Hands (Eclectic) 6:30-7:30pm Sore Throats Clapping Hands relies on simple melodies and poignant lyricism to drive our passions. We embrace music that takes little production and, for that reason, is extremely accessible to play, share, create and enjoy—music that can be produced with little more than clapping hands and sore throats. Exploding Head Movies (Eclectic) 7:30-9pm The Jazz Show ( Jazz) 9pm-12am Vancouver’s longest running prime-time jazz program. Hosted by Gavin Walker. Features at 11pm. Dec. 6: Celebrating Jazz legend Dave Brubeck’s 91st birthday with Jazz At Oberlin. Dec. 13: Tenor saxophonist Teddy Edwards and his octet: Back To Avalon. Dec. 20: The Christmas Show: Dexter Gordon, the MJQ, Chet Baker, the Hip Story of Scrooge plus the legendary Miles Davis Christmas Eve session with Thelonious Monk and Milt Jackson et al. Dec. 27: Trumpet great Kenny Dorham: Trompeta Toccata. Jan. 3: Alto saxophone legend John Jenkins’ birthday: John Jenkins and Kenny Burrell. Jan. 10: Drum great Max Roach’s birthday: Max Roach
+ 4 with Sonny Rollins and Kenny Dorham. Jan. 17: It’s pianist Cedar Walton’s birthday. Cedar Walton Live at Boomers with Clifford Jordan. Jan. 24: Legendary drummer Lennie McBrowne’s birthday: Lennie McBrowne & the Four Souls-Eastern Lights. Jan. 31: Bassist/composer/ firebrand Charles Mingus: Cumbia and Jazz Fusion.
TUESDAY Pacific Pickin’ (Roots) 6-8am Bluegrass, old-time music, and its derivatives with Arthur and the lovely Andrea Berman. pacificpickin@yahoo.com Sounds of Africa (World) 8-9:30am Showcasing music, current affairs & news from across the African continent and the diaspora, you will learn all about beat and rhythm and it will certainly kickstart your day. Third Time’s The Charm (Rock) 9:30-11:30am Open your ears and prepare for a shock! A harmless note may make you a fan! Deadlier than the most dangerous criminals! borninsixtynine@ hotmail.com Morning After Show (Eclectic) 11:30am-1pm An eclectic mix of Canadian indie with rock, experimental, world, reggae, punk and ska from Canada, Latin America and Europe. The Morning After Show has local bands playing live on the Morning After Sessions. Hosted by Oswaldo Perez Cabrera. Laugh Tracks (Talk) 1-2pm Laugh Tracks is a show about comedy. Kliph Nesteroff from the ‘zine, Generation Exploitation, hosts. generationexploit@yahoo. com, musicalboot@ yahoo.ca Give ‘em the Boot (World) 2-3pm Sample the various flavours of Italian folk music
from north to south, traditional to modern on this bilingual Italian/English show. Un programma bilingue che esplora il mondo della musica etnica italiana. Wings (Talk) 3-3:30pm Alternating Tuesdays Prof Talk (Talk) 3-3:30pm Alternating Tuesdays Bringing UBC’s professors on air to talk about current/ past events at the local and international level. Aiming to provide a space for faculty and doctoral level students to engage in dialogue and share their current research, and to provide a space for interdisciplinary thinking. Interviews with professors from a variety of disciplines. http://ubcproftalk. wordpress.com proftalk@gmail.com Radio Freethinker (Talk) 3:30-4:30pm Promoting skepticism, critical thinking and science, we examine popular extraordinary claims and subject them to critical analysis. The real world is a beautiful and fascinating place and we want people to see it through the lens of reality as opposed to superstition. In the cage with bArds (Talk) 4:30-5pm Join Carlin Bardsley as he welcomes the top names in Canadian Mixed Martial Arts to put up their dukes and discuss the fastest growing sport in the world. Recaps, interviews, tunes and more... it’s the most fun you can have without being punched in the face! Thunderbird Eye (Talk) 5-6pm Your weekly roundup of UBC Thunderbird sports action from on campus and off with your host Wilson Wong. Flex Your Head (Hardcore) 6-8pm Punk rock and hardcore since 1989. Bands and guests from around the world.
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Life On Jumpstreet (Dance) 8-9pm Crimes & Treasons (Hip-hop) 9-11pm crimesandtreasons@ gmail.com CabaRadio (Talk) 11pm-12:30am For the world of Cabaret. Tune in for interviews, skits, musical guests and more. It’s Radio with sass!
WEDNESDAY Suburban Jungle (Eclectic) 8-10am Live from the Jungle Room, join radio host Jack Velvet for an eclectic mix of music, sound bites, information and inanity. Not to be missed! dj@jackvelvet.net Pop Drones (Eclectic) 10-11:30am Anoize (Noise) 11:30am-1pm An hour and a half of avantrock, noize, plunderphonic, psychedelic and outsider aspects of audio. An experience for those who want to be educated and EARitated. lukemeat@hotmail.com The Green Majority (Talk) 1-2pm Canada’s only environmental news hour, syndicated by CIUT 89.5 FM Toronto or www.greenmajority.ca. Democracy now (Talk) 2-3pm Rumbletone Radio a go go (Rock) 3-5pm Primitive, fuzzed-out garage mayhem! Arts Report (Talk) 5-6pm Reel to Real (Talk) 6-6:30pm Movie reviews and criticism. Samsquantch’s Hideaway (Eclectic) 6:30-8pm Alternating Wednesdays All-Canadian music with a focus on indie-rock/pop. anitabinder@hotmail.com Shameless (Eclectic) 6:30-8pm Alternating Wednesdays Dedicated to giving local music acts a crack at some
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airplay. When not playing the PR shtick, you can hear some faves you never knew you liked. Folk Oasis (Roots) 8-10pm Two hours of eclectic folk/ roots music, with a big emphasis on our local scene. C’mon in! A kumbaya-free zone since 1997. folkoasis@gmail.com Sexy In Van City (Talk) 10-11pm Your weekly dose of education and entertainment in the realm of relationships and sexuality. sexyinvancity.com/category/ sexy-in-vancity-radio Hans Kloss’ Misery Hour (Hans Kloss) 11pm-1am Pretty much the best thing on radio.
THURSDAY End of the World News (Talk) 8-10am Sweet And Hot ( Jazz) 10am-12pm Sweet dance music and hot jazz from the 1920s, ‘30s and ‘40s. Duncan’s Donuts (Eclectic) 12-1pm Sweet treats from the pop underground. Hosted by Duncan, sponsored by donuts. duncansdonuts. wordpress.com We All Fall Down (Eclectic) 1-2pm Punk rock, indie pop and whatever else I deem worthy. Hosted by a closet nerd. www.weallfalldowncitr. blogspot.ca Ink Studs (Talk) 2-3pm Underground and indie comix. Each week, we interview a different creator to get their unique perspective on comix and discuss their upcoming works. Japanese Musicquest (World) 3-3:30pm Syndicated from CJLY Kootenay Co-op Radio in Nelson, B.C. French Connection (World) 3:30-5pm French language and music. Native Solidarity News (Talk) 5-6pm
A national radio service and part of an international network of information and action in support of indigenous peoples’ survival and dignity. Are You Aware (Eclectic) 6-7:30pm Celebrating the message behind the music: Profiling music and musicians that take the route of positive action over apathy. Exquisite Corpse (Experimental) 7:30-9pm Experimental, radio-art, sound collage, field recordings, etc. Recommended for the insane. artcorpse@yahoo.com Live From Thunderbird Radio Hell (Live Music) 9-11pm Featuring live band(s) every week performing in the CiTR Lounge. Most are from Vancouver, but sometimes bands from across the country and around the world. Funk My Life (Soul/Dance) 11pm-12am Grooving out tunes with a bit of soul and a lot of funk, from the birth of rhythm and blues to the golden age of motown, to contemporary dance remixes of classic soul hits. We explore Brazilian funk, Japanese breakbeat anthems, the British motown remix scene, Canadian soul and disco that your parents probably made out to and the classics of American soul. Soul in the City’s Oker hosts with guests to bring that extra bounce to your step. Aural Tentacles (Eclectic) 12-6am It could be global, trance, spoken word, rock, the unusual and the weird, or it could be something different. Hosted by DJ Pierre. auraltentacles@hotmail.com
FRIDAY Friday Sunrise (Eclectic) 7:30-9am An eclectic mix of indie rock, hip-hop and reggae to bring you up with the sun. Synchronicity (Talk) 9-10am Join host Marie B and discuss spirituality, health and feeling good. Tune in and tap into good vibrations that help you remember why you’re here: to have
fun! This is not your average spirituality show. Ska-T’s Scenic Drive (Ska) 10am-12pm Canada’s longest running Ska radio program. djska_t@hotmail.com Citr listener Hour (Eclectic) 12-1pm Tune in each week as you, the CiTR fan, gets to program an hour of adventure for the whole world to hear! For more info, contact program coordinator Bryce Dunn at citrprogramming@ club.ams.ubc.ca. Barnburner (Eclectic) 1-2pm The greasier side of rock ‘n’ roll, rhythm ‘n’ blues, and country... Crack a beer, order some BBQ and get your boogie on. Radio Zero (Dance) 2-3:30pm An international mix of super-fresh weekend party jams from New Wave to foreign electro, baile, Bollywood and whatever else. www.radiozero.com Nardwuar (Nardwuar) 3:30-5pm Join Nardwuar the Human Serviette for Clam Chowder flavoured entertainment. Doot doola doot doo … doot doo! nardwuar@nardwuar.com News 101 (Talk) 5-6pm See Monday for description. CiTR Sports Live (Talk) 6-10:30pm Shake A Tail Feather (Soul/R&B) 10:30-12am The finest in classic soul and rhythm & blues from the late ’50s to the early ’70s, including lesser known artists, regional hits and lost soul gems. The Vampire’s Ball (Industrial) 12-4am Dark, sinister music to soothe and/or move the Dragon’s soul. Industrial, goth and a touch of metal too. Blog: thevampiresball. blogspot.com. thevampiresball@gmail.com
SATURDAY The Saturday Edge (Roots) 8am-12pm
A personal guide to world and roots music—with African, Latin and European music in the first half, followed by Celtic, blues, songwriters, Cajun and whatever else fits! steveedge3@mac.com Generation Annihilation (Punk) 12-1pm A fine mix of streetpunk and old-school hardcore backed by band interviews, guest speakers and social commentary. crashnburnradio@yahoo.ca generationannihilation.com Power chord (Metal) 1-3pm Vancouver’s longest running metal show. If you’re into music that’s on the heavier/darker side of the spectrum, then you’ll like it. Sonic assault provided by Geoff the Metal Pimp. Code Blue (Roots) 3-5pm From backwoods delta low-down slide to urban harp honks, blues and blues roots with your hosts Jim, Andy and Paul. codeblue@buddy-system.org The Leo Ramirez Show (World) 5-6pm The best of mix of Latin American music. leoramirez@canada.com Nasha Volna (World) 6-7pm News, arts, entertainment and music for the Russian community, local and abroad. nashavolna.ca Notes from the Underground (Electronic/Hip-hop/More) 7-9pm Start your Saturday night off right with our weekly showcase of the local underground DJ and electronic music scene. notesundergroundradio. blogspot.com notesundergroundradio@ gmail.com Synaptic Sandwich (Dance/Electronic/Eclectic) 9-11pm If you like everything from electro/techno/trance/8-bit music/retro ‘80s this is the show for you! www.synapticsandwich.net
under review discorder’s favourite albums of 2010
Animal Bodies Animal Bodies
(Needs More RAM) Animal Bodies’ debut of their self-titled album is shrouded in mystery. Aside from the fact that they are from Vancouver and their release is courtesy of the record label operated out of the Zoo Zhop, there is no mention anywhere about how many members are in the band, whose voice is twisting about, or the significance of the ramblings. The mystique is part of the experience as the listener is greeted with electronic chaos and a sense of blind fury introducing the band’s ghostly, New Wave, post-punk sound. There are three common threads gluing the album together: the synths are programmed in such a black sea of fuzz that even the darkness might
jump; each song introduces a two or three chord pattern that stays consistent throughout the track but builds with turbulent electronic blips; and there is never an attempt at chorus. After all, this is not a pop affair. “Thoughts and Consequences” sets the tone with a fast and furious blur of analog beats, rapid guitar abuse, an almost middle eastern vibe provided by a roaming and slightly off-kilter synth sound, and heavily reverbed vocals echoing in the background—call it sonic bedlam with a beat. “Jungle Cathedral” slows things a bit with a smoother pulse. The mood is provided by a somewhat catchy guitar riff that’s played like a bass over top a softer electro-beat and cerebral synths in the backdrop.
1. caribou - swim 2. fine mist - public domain 3. ariel pink's haunted graffiti - before today 4. sleigh bells - treats 5. humans - avec mes mecs 6. apollo ghosts - mount benson 7. diamond rings - special affections 8. japandroids - no singles 9. lcd soundsystem - this is happening 10. babe rainbow - shaved EP 11. black mountain - wilderness heart 12. crocodiles - sleep forever 13. no age - everything in between 14. shad - TSOL 15. fanshaw - dark eyes 16. toro y moi - leave everywhere 17. brasstronaut - mt. chimaera 18. beach house - teen dream 19. hannah georgas - this is good 20. bison b.c. - dark ages
Whoever is singing tends to use her voice almost like a guitar—constantly bending the pitch from low to high in order to hit the intended note. This characteristic becomes entrenched in the first four songs and forms the basis of the sound. The brief interlude from the fury and darkness quickly returns with “Sequence 99” and “Tomb Table Testimony.” Both are very similar in composition to the first track, complete with the bended howls, sinister synths and racing beats. The album ends with two tracks of complete dark ambient textures layered, intertwined and void of any rhythm elements—it is a fitting end to an intense listening experience. —Slavko Bucifal
Babe Rainbow
Let Me Buy U, Anne Drank Vol. 1 & 2
(Independent) I like Babe Rainbow. And rap music. A lot. Maybe I like rap music more than you—not that this is a competition. I was genuinely excited when I was assigned to review an album that combines Vancouver-produced dark, atmospheric electronic music and some of my favourite semi-obscure rap tracks. Disappointingly, the nonsensically titled Let Me Buy U, Anne Drank Volumes 1 & 2 is not a well-matched marriage of these musical styles. I can understand that this is a pet project and a chance to pay homage to, and put a personal spin on a favourite genre; Babe Rainbow has frequently cited rap as one of his musical influences in previous interviews. But the end product of
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these mixes doesn’t sound like an artist paying respect to a favourite genre. This mixtape sounds like a producer forcing the music sampled to conform to his particular aesthetic, often with unappealing results. Basically, the tracks of several groups and rappers are all slowed to meet Babe Rainbow’s sluggish beat-perminute ratio. These altered vocals leave a variety of rappers all sounding like the same dude. And that dude has a deep voice. And he raps reallll slowww. Particularly disappointing is the remix of “National Anthem” by Freddie Gibbs, while the remixes of “Hell on Earth” by Mobb Deep and “Bloodbath” by the Dayton Family fare better, sounding more menacing than their original incarnations. Still, these two successes are exceptions to the rest of the monotonous mixtape. While not an all-out failure, if you’re a fan of rap, and a fan of Babe Rainbow, it’s probably best to listen to them independently. —Tony Kess
Boogie Monster Zechimechi
(Needs More RAM) Ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages! You’ve read legends of the Big Foot, you’ve seen pictures of the Loch Ness monster, but have you ever heard the carnal howl of the Boogie Monster? Come this way one and all, step inside Zechimechi and succumb to the infamous beast with its furry coat and gnashing teeth. Watch as the Boogie Monster takes a pile of instruments and throws them into a blender, gleefully switching the speeds from pulse, to grind, to crush—somehow blending everything
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into a thick melody. Hold on as the Boogie Monster flies through 11 tracks like a Kansas whirlwind, sucking up everyone in its path and taking them to a beyond place (and they said tornados don’t happen in Vancouver). Go ahead and try not to get lost in the infectious cacophony of Zechimechi, a mirrored maze of buzzing guitars, looping melodies and blasting beats. It is the soundtrack to a chaotic circus where Dr. Frankenstein is the ring master and Willy Wonka is the organ grinder. Dance monkeys dance! The Boogie Monster is big and scary and loud and hilarious. The Boogie Monster is the life of the party! (Whew, 200 words about Boogie Monster without an obvious reference to Lightning Bolt!—err—oops). —Mark PaulHus
Caving
U.S. Caves
(Ache) The ethereal world of glitch and crunk is a haven of music unexplored by many. Andy Dixon, the man behind Caving, delivers the goods on all fronts of his newest mixtape, U.S. Caves. Taking modern hits and obliterating them beyond radio play, U.S. Caves recreates some of the most prominent pop songs of the past few years into something much more sinister. This bass-heavy exploration brings the goods—and much more—to satisfy the most adventurous of souls. Popular musicians have been taken by Caving and brought forth in a new light; mixes from the past have been flipped over and rearranged into something new and bone-crushingly fresh. Artists, such as Fergie and
Drake, have been remixed and dropped with that heavy club bass. “London Bridge” is no longer a mediocre pop song; it’s a club jam full of deep synths, modulated beats and heavily gated vocals. Britney Spears and her single “Gimme More” is no longer suitable for Top 40 radio; it’s been rearranged in such a dark way that it bears more resemblance to a hard hit of dubstep than anything it was before. The production is clever and striking; Caving knows how to amp up the sound of a track and make it pulse through the listener’s mind. No more treble highs and subtle lows, these tracks are full of deep frequencies and pounding beats. Though unique in sound, the overall album is relatively eerie; some of the beats formed here are so experimental they come across strange. The final track, a mix of Ciara’s “1, 2, Step,” takes the pop singer’s vocals and tunes them down more than a few steps. The result is a dub beat that has Ciara’s creeping vocals haunting the listener, pitchshifted in an unreal way. Even pop artist Lil Wayne has been remodelled by Dixon’s unique imagination; “Lollipop” is just as dance ready as it was before, but now modified to suit the taste of a much savvier listening audience. This isn’t a run of the mill collection of poorly remixed tunes— it’s an actual exploration into the world of sound. Caving has taken it upon himself to take some of the most overplayed music and actually make it fresh and interesting again—and that’s talent. —Kamil Krawczyk
Falklands
Think About It
(Clamour) Simple, yet extremely compelling, Falklands’ debut LP, Think About It, is a definite throwback to the heydays of good ol’ rock ‘n’ roll. Powered by overdriven guitars, thriving bass rhythms, exhilarating drums and strong vocals, these ten tracks evoke a sense of style and class—despite the homely set up of it all. Falklands deliver a retrospective sound that is sorely missed in the music world. The songs found on Think About It evoke a sense of youth, bridging the gap between the generation that grew up listening to Thin Lizzy and the Replacements, allowing newcomers to the genre to gain a common appreciation for all that is pleasant to the ears. Produced by Jesse Gander (behind acts such as the the Tranzmitors, Japandroids), Think About It delivers on most fronts. The musicianship is top-notch, but rather elementary; the guitar work is clever and entertaining, but not very technical. Solos are sparse amidst the reminiscently crunchy riffs. No one aspect of the music is overpowering. Gander has done an excellent job at making sure the music flows together and really sings. The album lacks some diversity, but it holds up well in the end by changing the tone of each song. From “Saint Vinny,” a hard, balls-to-the-wall rocker, to the slower and more ballad-like “Hell Is Up,” this album delivers enough variety to stay interesting throughout. There are some clever licks to be found on each track, and “Yellow Rose” has the most fond guitar playing (and
guitar solos) found on the release, but alas, it’s the drumming that steals the show: precise, strong and a contributing force to the Falklands’ sonic landscapes. Lyrically, the band does a fair job conveying meaning; the songs are not mindless messes of poetry, but rather crafted pieces of thought. “Earthquake,” for example, is a very pop-driven track, and thankfully, not void of meaning. Simple lines, like “Should I sacrifice / another healthy laugh for your excessive taste” may seem trivial, but hold well in context— nothing too deep or too obscure, but just right to get across a point and have a good time all at once. The Falklands deliver something that is scarce in bands today: fun. They’re young, adventitious, and definitely talented, a small jewel from the cold borders of Canada. Full of energy, it’s no surprise that this quartet can bring the best of both power-pop and classic rock into a tempting package that just evokes the thrill of good ol’ rock ‘n’ roll in the hearts of both young and old. Capturing the moment, these boys sure know how to steal the show. —Kamil Krawczyk
The Good Ones Kigali Y’ Izahabu
(Dead Oceans) Beauty can shine brightly even in the most forgotten dusty corners of the earth, offering little glimmers of pure hope and love that beat strongly with the pulse of life. It was out from the shadows that producer Ian Brennan spotted two figures approaching, carrying a weathered four-stringed guitar between them and the glow of
something special. Part way through a two-week quest in Rwanda in search of interesting music that moved him, Brennan knew at first glance that he had found what he was after. That night two of the three musicians known as the Good Ones played him a haunting pretty song called “Sara,” promising to return the next evening with their third member for a “proper” recording session. This session, 12 songs done in one take over the course of an evening, is Kigali Y’ Izahabu, a stunning album that acts almost as a field recording or snapshot of a life most have never seen nor heard. Sung in their native Kinyarwanda street tongue, these songs rely on feeling and inflection. Played simply with beat up guitars, the tapping of a foot and some wonderful harmonies, the Good Ones’ sparse joyous acoustic love songs of faith and friendship tap into a deep well of goodness and offer a glimpse into the resiliency and strength of spirit. These hopeful street songs act as a call to gather and to stand strong in the face of it all. Indeed, the humble folk songs, played out on a porch in some dusty messed up part of the earth, are a rare gem worth digging for. —Nathaniel Bryce
Kids & Explosions Shit Computer
(Independent) Shit Computer is the debut album of mashup artist Kids & Explosions. Comparisons to Girl Talk, poster child of the mashup genre, are inevitable, but Kids & Explosions offers a more soulful, less frenetic sound while still delivering on insanely catchy hooks. The self-described “boy who
makes songs by stealing others and making them worse” is actually Toronto’s Josh Raskin, director of the Oscar nominated short, I Met the Walrus. He throws everyone from Notorious B.I.G. to Elliott Smith together, chopping them up until they lose all context and take on an entirely new form. Set to the sweet, gentle background of Iron & Wine, “Swear Words” offers an extremely gratifying release of any pent-up Tourette’s urges you may have, before finishing with a Cyndi Lauper sucker punch. “Babies Are the Future” mixes David Bowie with a healthy dose of a children’s choir in one of the album’s best dance tracks. Where he really proves himself though is on tracks like “Slow Song” which weaves together Feist and Tupac, creating a satisfyingly melancholy rainy day song. Shit Computer is just a lot of fun and it grows on you with each listen. With a perfect mix of booty jams and introspective heartache, it’s likely to stay in your party repertoire for weeks to come. —Sally White
Olenka & the Autumn Lovers And Now We Sing
(Oh! Records) On their sophomore album, And Now We Sing, Olenka & the Autumn Lovers deliver exactly what they promise. With no indie-rock pretension or clutter, the London, Ontario six-piece leaps immediately into an irresistible collection of Eastern Europeaninflected folk tunes that capture the redemptive flashes of brilliance in even the most dismal corners. It’s rare to come across an album with so few missteps. As a PhD student in English, Krakus might be expected to have a wordy, dense narrative style. As it turns out, her education mostly manifests itself in simple and evocative writing that knows where to embellish and where to leave well enough alone. Meanwhile, her rhythmic, syncopated vocal technique functions like an
all-purpose instrument, imitating a xylophone and a violin in almost the same breath. Combining this with the heavy string section and tasteful use of trumpet, the band’s overall sound is reminiscent of both My Brightest Diamond and the Decemberists but is derivative of neither. With the whole album clocking at just over 40 minutes, And Now We Sing is barely long enough to fill up an entire commute. In that time, it whirls you down alleyways and through churchyards, through country romps and Balkan stomps at a fierce pace that only occasionally slows up for a folk dance. Opener and standout track “Odessa” is exemplary of the amount of content Krakus can pack into no time at all: In just under two minutes, the titular character watches each of her family members collapse under the weight of their problems. It is hectic and bleak, but the crunchy guitars and relentlessly catchy melody make it go down so easy that by the time it’s over you’ll barely remember where you are or what you were doing. ––Miranda Martini
The Russian Futurists The Weight’s on the Wheels
(Upper Class) The Russian Futurists (a.k.a Matthew Adam Heart) are back with album number four, The Weight’s on the Wheels. The Ontario native is probably best know for his punchy pop tracks. Remember that super catchy song “Paul Simon?” That’s him. “Hoeing Weeds Sowing Seeds” is the first track and single off the album. Dancy-dance sounds that swing from one speaker to another, it is a very clear indication of what you are in for with this album. The Weight’s on the Wheels consists of enthusiastic, upbeat, track after track. “One Night, One Kiss” is a cute little duet featuring guest vocalist Ruth Minnikin and some very well integrated castanet action. “100 Shopping Days ‘till Christmas” gets the award for best use of a drum machine on the album and the beat-tastik “Plates” is continued on page 34
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continued from page 31 another killer. There are so many influences here it is pointless to list them. The Weight’s on the Wheels has a familiar vibe, yet it is still an original offering. A polished, warm album that holds the listeners attention from start to finish. Best listen to the album with headphones to get everything that is going on here. A really cool album for those of you who like your pop music sanguine and drum machines loud. —Katherine Boothroyd
Small Black
complete and satisfying spin. While never derailing from their mushy nebulous of sound, each track has a distinct feel accomplished by a general refrain from repeating elements or motifs. It is not clear whether Small Black search for that perfect sound, or if the perfect sounds just happens fortuitously as a result of tinkering with their gear, but it is evident that the careful arrangement of layers upon layers and bits upon bits form a pleasing listening experience from start to finish. —Slavko Bucifal
( Jagjaguwar)
Tight Solid
New Chain
When Casio first introduced their line of keyboards and samplers in the early ‘80s, they were intended mostly as a toy—especially when compared to their professional studio counterparts. Thirty years later, one room urban recording studios have sprung up like flowers in bloom and those old lo-fi micros synths have become somewhat of a staple piece of hardware. Clearly, it’s not what you use but how you use it. Brooklyn’s Small Black successfully converts the lo-fi fuzz to create a contagious, dreamy, heavily textured pop sound enveloped by a fog of ambient chill. Somewhere in amongst the tumble of noise and reverb, danceable moments and catchy melodies keep New Chain moving forward while the ‘80s electronic stew demonstrates respect for its vintage underpinnings. At times, the musical layers of sound and noise make it difficult to discern Josh Kolenik’s lyrics thereby making it nearly impossible to sing along using the correct words, but it hardly matters as the seamless integration between the ‘80s dance rhythms and melting synth patterns will encourage a sing-outloud response and have you using nonsensical words to fill in the blanks. While this action may appear a little odd during those uninhibited moments in public, anyone sharing the experience will understand that there are just too many catchy bits and memorable tunes to resist the urge. Small Black’s first full length is a
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Walk it Off
(Independent) Walk it Off, the first release from Vancouver trio Tight Solid, sounds like something that came out of the Pacific Northwest in the late ‘80s or early ‘90s. This is grunge in its purest form; we’re talking pre- “Teen Spirit” entry-level grunge. The only thing that would make Walk it Off more authentic is if it was released on cassette with a photocopied cover, or maybe vinyl, but only if it was pressed one copy at a time in someone’s basement. Burnside (Treacherous Machete), Shmoo Ritchee (the Organ) and Ryan Walter Wagner (the WPP) have compiled nine tracks of raw and honest rock and roll full driven by punk ethos. The opening track “Ode to the Devil” is a dark journey guided by trashy riffs and a driving rhythm that push you off a cliff into a sludgy bridge. “She’s So In Control” finds itself somewhere between the Stooges and Danzig era Misfits. Things wind down a bit for the short and sweet love ballad “A Great Love,” but quickly crank back up for the hardcore blast “The ‘70s in Quebec”. Walk it Off is a genuine collection of rock and roll songs that are both tight and solid and reminiscent of the last true movement in popular music. —Mark Paulhus
Twin Crystals Child Life
(Self-Released) Jesse Taylor, Jordan Alexander and
Jeremiah Haywood, who comprise the local band Twin Crystals, have recently recorded and self-released their twentieth(ish) album Child Life. This album can be had on cassette or as a digital download. The noise inspired punk band has recorded prolifically, and this is the latest taste to their always-evolving sound. Though they’ve released 20 albums now, many are splits and a few more are recorded from live shows. Some of their older recordings have a spacey dance to them, feel, something like guitar-keyboardist Taylor’s other band Channels 3x4, but Child Life is definitely more reminiscent of old L.A. punk. Think Wipers meets a toneddown Ex Models (they’re recent, it’s true) with lo-fi male vocals. Anxious and scattered, but altogether fluid, Twin Crystals hits so many levels. There’s grunginess to the guitar and keyboard and nostalgia to the vocals that nearly recede into the background while Alexander furiously sweats over the drums. Their recordings are true to their live sound, and are just as good. Child Life is a rad addition to the Twin Crystals discography, and Twin Crystals is a prominent part of the Vancouver punk scene that you really should hear, if you haven’t already. —Sarah Charrouf
Zola Jesus Valusia
(Sacred Bones) Zola Jesus has been busy. Within 2009 to present, she has released two LPs and four EPs and this fall she has had three backto-back tours supporting Fever Ray and the xx with plenty of headlining tours throughout. And now, the 21 year old, born Nika Roza Danilove of Wisconsin, can add Valusia, a four song EP, to her achievements. Her background training in opera helped develop her voice to be
so powerful, and it compliments the overall fuzzy backdrop. This brighterthan-before EP kicks off with “Poor Animal,” a celebratory dance for the free spirits, à la Florence & the Machine’s style and vocals. “Tower,” reverts back to a bit more of her previous gothic flavour. In the middle is “Sea Talk,” and as the name implies, it has reverb waves sweeping with her ethereal voice draping over top, like the ocean with aqua sinews twisting or like aurora borealis lazily stretching across the sky in viscous liquid while she sings the simple lyrics, “I don’t ever want stay away from you.” The closer, “Lightsick,” which boasts real piano (none of that synth), rides on spiritually until it fades. Valusia is a wholly mystical and majestic effort, and perhaps, a small tasting sample of the meaty LP ahead. —Ming Wong
real live action gobble gobble by steve louie
Teenage Fanclub / the Shilohs October 16 / the Biltmore Teenage Fanclub, along with XTC and a bunch of other ‘80s/‘90s British bands, form a special part of the soundtrack of my childhood. My brother and I both played on travelling hockey teams and my father would tell us that it was time to develop some cultural pride before slipping a tape into the deck and air-guitaring to “What You Do To Me.” So when I heard they were headed to Vancouver, I was so down for the show. In fact, I may have spent the weeks preceding the show sharing most of their 1991 album Bandwagonesque with everyone. On repeat. Vancouver-based band the Shilohs opened the show with an appropriately Brit-pop and surf-rock feel—a definite Big Star influence, with dashes of Buddy Holly. The vocals sometimes sounded a bit like Davy Jones of the Monkees (I checked with my friend, who came with me, and she agreed. So odd but true). The Shilohs, who just released their first self-titled EP, rocked a mix of up-tempo and slower, more sentimental songs. Their set was tight and presented a classic West Coast melange approach to standard pop rock. Teenage Fanclub hit the stage next. “They look like dads,” my friend Erika said. Again, true. Norman Blake (vocals, guitar), Raymond McGinley (vocals, lead guitar), Gerard Love (vocals, bass) and Francis MacDonald (drums), who’ve been together in one form or another since 1989, look like dads. They also have hot accents (Erika verified this.) The crowd at the Biltmore was also a little older than I’m used to, but then, my own dad was at the TFC show in Toronto earlier this year (I had him send me their setlist for comparison’s sake). The Fannies (don't judge me) played a good mix of old and new songs—a whole bunch from 2010’s Shadows, alongside tracks from Bandwagonesque, Grand Prix and Songs from Northern Britain. TFC’s newer songs are simultaneously familiar and innovative; “Baby Lee” (from 2010’s Shadows), for example, is a catchy, melodic song melding a glockenspiel with TFC’s tried and true approach to vocals and rhythm. “When I Still Have Thee” (also from Shadows) is a solid love song with some on-point,
awesome lyrics: “The Rolling Stones wrote a song for me / It’s a minor song in a major key ... It’s a modern hymn for the you and me.” My favourite songs of the evening were from what the band warmly referred to as their “back catalogue”—“Sparky’s Dream” and the night’s closer, “Everything Flows.” “The Concept” (from Bandwagonesque), the last song of the set before the encore, had the entire crowd singing along. As the show ended and the Biltmore cleared out into its lovely triangular parking lot, I felt a wave of hockey nostalgia and headed home early enough to be in bed by midnight. —Andrea Bennett
The Morning Benders / Twin Sister / Cults October 20 / Venue I guess you can’t expect a huge crowd on a Wednesday night. But I still feel bad for those who missed the Morning Benders show. They should have skipped studying for midterms like me. After a short, catchy set from a young group called Cults (not to be confused with the Cult), Long Island’s Twin Sister hit the stage. They instantly won me over with their cool, relaxing demeanor and their spacey disco sound. There’s a subtle mystery to lead singer Andrea Estella’s breathy vocals and stage presence and I thoroughly enjoyed the cute conversation attempts guitarist Eric Cardona had with the crowd. Estella and Cardona had a great dynamic and really knew how to trade off and let each other have their moment. A good example is with the airy tune, “Lady Daydream.” The twangy, echoey guitar hit so perfectly just as Estella pulled back her vocals. Twin Sister ended on a high with a groovy cover of La Boinda’s “I Wanna Be Your Lover,” followed by, “All Around and Away We Go.” Even on these dance induced songs, there’s always this layer of futuristic/dreamy ambience that make their music that much more appealing. Next time Twin Sister is in town, you can bet they’ll be headlining their own show. The Morning Benders’ sophomore album, Big Echo, proved they are a band in the midst of transition. They have moved away from the conventional
35
kurt vile & the soft pack by steve louie California, indie-pop sound, and it was interesting seeing them balance their old sound with the new. Songs like “Pleasure Sighs” evoked images of the coast and ocean waves, but without the generic, happy, “fun in the sun” vibe. It glided flawlessly into the atmospheric tune “Stitches,” and everything just felt ethereal and hypnotic. Mid way through the set, the band didn’t bother with a smooth transition into their upbeat indie-pop songs like “All Day Day Light” or “Boarded Doors.” Front man Christopher Chu basically just said, “So now we’re going play some songs that you can dance to. You guys look like you want to dance.” Whether it was the atmospheric tunes or the straightforward pop songs, the Morning Benders played with such precision and neatness. The guitar licks, harmonies and even their intense “freak outs” sounded clean and crisp. As expected, the band closed with “Excuses.” It was one big sing-along and Chu looked confident leading the crowd of fans. The “dum da dum” vocals were looped and eerily, they echoed in the background as the band played louder. The song ended with a mesmerizing instrumental outro: all four members crouched down to the effects panel and started manipulating the sounds until gradually, each layer was removed and all that was left was the vocals. It sounds cool, but I didn’t get to appreciate any of it! I failed to mention one thing. Throughout the entire show, this drunken moron kept yelling things out. And so while the band was doing this really neat experiment, this idiotic drunk guy started singing irritatingly loud. He killed the moment, and everyone wanted to punch him in the face. Luckily, the Morning Benders did come back on stage for an encore. They played their latest song, “Virgins,” with no rude interruptions. Within a year, the Morning Benders have played in Vancouver three times. But, even if you caught the last shows, don’t expect anything redundant. It’s exciting seeing them evolve and test out new things, so you don’t want to overlook their live shows…even if there is a stupid drunk fan yelling every five seconds. —Angela Yen
She & Him / the Chapin Sisters October 24 / the Orpheum Things you will hear at a She & Him concert: “I love you Zooey!”, “Zooey, you’re beautiful!” and the occasional, “Woo, M. Ward.” On their final stop of their North American tour, She & Him played to a sea of adoring Vancouver fans. They included girls dressed just like Zooey Deschanel and guys hoping to date her. Sisters, Lily and Abigail Chapin, were the openers and they played a set of simple folk-pop songs. The Chapin Sisters are also the backup singers for She & Him, so you can get a sense of how easily they can harmonize and complement
36
each other’s vocals. They seemed very serious and intense until they played their acoustic cover of Britney Spears’ “Toxic.” It’s probably more gimmicky than anything else, but still entertaining. Deschanel joined them on stage for the last two songs and that was probably the most exciting part. She & Him, plus the backing band, wasted no time getting into the bubbly tune, “I Was Made For You.” Immediately, enthusiastic foot tapping ensued. Rather early in the set, She & Him played “Thieves.” It’s a personal favourite and I was surprised that they treated it more like a filler. Deschanel’s distinct voice, which sounds so wonderful on the studio version of the song, hadn’t quite warmed up yet. Ward, however, had no problem delving into his decorative guitar solos. I’ll admit, I was probably one of the few people who was more stoked to see the “Him” portion of She & Him. But, anyone can tell you that Ward is a seasoned musician and he is mesmerizing to watch as he plays his guitar with such ease and style. It was on the heartfelt ballad “Take It Back” where Deschanel’s voice really wooed me. Her voice had definitely warmed up by then. She had that beautiful and nostalgic tone, where you get hints of legends like Ella Fitzgerald or Patsy Cline. The highlight of the show was when it was simply Deschanel and Ward on stage. They treated the crowd to a couple of covers which included their sensual rendition of “You Really Got a Hold On Me.” Ward got to show off his deep, velvety voice, which people sometimes forget is distinguished in its own right. That vocal exchange during the callback was the best chemistry Deschanel and Ward had the entire night. The backing band then returned, and for “In the Sun,” the audience was invited to dance and sing along. Everyone was itching to jump up and down. So, as it usually goes at the Orpheum, the audience quickly flooded to the front of the stage. The show definitely took a turn and became an upbeat dance fest. During the encore, all the songs were covers and they ended with “I Put A Spell On You.” Deschanel belted it out and pushed her voice as far is it could go. The stripped-down, bolt-busting cover forced the cheering crowd to do one thing: continue with the “I love you Zooey!” and “You’re amazing!” comments. One girl in particular, who was just blown away by the strength of Deschanel’s voice, exclaimed, “Wow! That was FAN-tastic!” It was indeed. —Angela Yen
Best Coast / Sonny & the Sunsets October 29 / the Cobalt Only a little over half an hour late, Sonny & the Sunsets took to the stage at the Cobalt on this night to open for Best Coast. The concert had preempted the usual Friday night crowd, but no one seemed to be complaining, least of all No More Strangers’ usual DJ Tristan Orchard, who kept people entertained between sets.
mayelin sheaths by steve louie Sonny & the Sunsets looked and sounded like veteran musicians, used to the world of live performance and a bit world weary, but excellent musicians every one of them. The four of them didn’t provide any surprises, but they are very good at playing sunny pop music that would be well received by those in the mood for the Beach Boys or New Pornographers. Many great bands have off nights and this, unfortunately, was one of those for the vocals of Bethany Cosentino, lead singer of Best Coast. Her voice, which on record manages to simultaneously convey both a sappy longing and cool disdain, is usually the standout part of any Best Coast song, but this night it didn’t live up to the standard set by the recordings. Checking out a sampling of reviews of previous performances did not indicate that Cosentino’s underwhelming vocals were a regular problem, so hopefully this night will just go down as a night forgotten amidst a tour full of much more successful evenings. Luckily Cosentino didn’t let us down in her ability as a musician, so despite her voice sounding weak on some tracks, she effortlessly played her mint green guitar. Backing her were band members Bobb Bruno (on guitar) and Ali Koehler (the band’s third drummer). They did not disappoint, playing excellent music that kept the music sounding as fresh and exciting as anything on the record. The band ripped through their excellent repertoire of hazy surf/garage pop playing some of the audience’s favourite songs such as “Crazy For You,” “Summer Mood,” “Boyfriend” and the closer “Each and Every Day.” The crowd, happy to be at the sold-out show, enjoyed themselves, singing and dancing along when the mood struck them. Though the audience didn’t howl enough to encourage an encore, no fans were driven from the show early. Was it a disappointment that this excellent band hadn’t lived up to our perhaps unreasonable expectations? Yes, but that didn’t change the fact that Best Coast is one of the few bands touring right now that provides an original and excellently executed take on modern music and well worth seeing if the opportunity arises. [Update: though unofficial I’ve heard rumours that Cosentino was sick this night and that would explain the problems with her vocals at this concert.] —Jordie Yow
The Soft Pack / Kurt Vile & the Violators November 5 / the Biltmore Ubiquity breeds annoyance. In the early 2000s bands like the Soft Pack were bloody everywhere. Floppy of hair and tight of jeans, bands like the Strokes, BRMC and the White Stripes were massive, and as with the emergence of any successful subgenre or movement (see grunge in the ‘90s), hundreds of other bands suddenly seemed to materialise out of nothing overnight. While “The New Rock Revolution” (as it was dubbed by NME) has never really gone away, its all prevailing reach
has at least retreated a bit, which means that instead of dismissing the Soft Pack as also-rans in an already overpopulated genre, we can appreciate them on face value and realize that they have a lot to offer and enjoy, as they proved with their headlining slot at the Biltmore. A few hours earlier, support act Kurt Vile performed an acoustic in-store set across town at Zulu Records. Getting off to a very tentative start, he fumbled through a very unsure “He’s Alright.” If he was busking on Granville, you may very well have just walked past. That is until he played “Blackberry Song.” A sweetly beautiful song, its graceful simplicity translated brilliantly in the confines of the surroundings, better in fact than it does on his latest album, Childish Prodigy. Even if there were only flashes of greatness, one might realistically suspect that Vile was a little nervous, because after all, who doesn’t feel the oppressive judgemental gaze of the Zulu staff ? Later on at the Biltmore and with his band the Violators backing him, Vile seemed much more at ease. His vocal phrasing and delivery occasionally came across like a more stoned and less fervent Bob Dylan as on “Inside Looking Out.” Vile seemed relaxed to the point where his laid-back style almost became boring and was saved only by the comparative enthusiasm of his bandmates. A propulsive rendition of “Freak Train” kept the momentum moving and as if to seek redemption from anyone who witnessed the underwhelming version of “He’s Alright” earlier on—he played it again this time with much more conviction and set the record straight. Opening with a wry and intentionally awkward cover of the Rolling Stones’ “Start Me Up,” the Soft Pack swiftly switched gears into a raucous “Right and Wrong.” One of the refreshing things about the band is their nondescript appearance. It shouldn’t matter how a band dresses but it does play a part in how they’re appreciated and the fact that they’re not in the requisite uniform of their genre makes them seem all the more sincere and authentic. In a live setting, the songs from their recent eponymous album have much more energy and edge, “Parasites” being particularly effective. The highlight of the night had to be the perfect pop of the very Buzzcocksesque “More or Less,” which exhibited the core strength of the band—the ability to adeptly combine their garage rock and post-punk influences into songwriting that easily stands up against all that has come before them. —Will Pedley
Myelin Sheaths / the Shrapnelles / TimeCopz / Student Teacher November 12 / The Zoo Zhop Walking in through the narrow hallway of the Zoo Zhop on a rainy Friday night, I was ready for just about anything. The recently established record store’s modest back room—furnished with nothing but a single fluorescent light, a fan and an oddly placed sheet—was already full of raw and uncontained energy as I stepped in. Vancouver’s home-brewed punks, TimeCopz, were already in full swing, blaring out their frantic set to a surprisingly diverse crowd of a variety ages and backgrounds. Making the most of their basic trio set-up, the band filled the place with charged riffs and shout-out choruses, although the backup vocals were often better heard than the almost inaudible lead vocalist. After a strenuous sound check the Shrapnelles, an imposing all-girl outfit from Alberta took to the stage. With tastefully reverbed Gretsch guitar licks and haunting four-piece harmonies, the girls played a tight set that was received with a visible increase in the level of chaos among the tightly packed audience, eventually resulting in quite a few discarded beer cans flying at the band. After getting whacked twice in a row, the Shrapnelles’ front-woman, Greasy, reacted with a storming outburst of unfeigned ire in her vocals, which almost immediately set the crowd back under control. The band proved to be in control of their act, leaving none indifferent to their “pussy power” as they so aptly coined it. Headliners Myelin Sheaths promptly took over wasting no unnecessary time
37
on set up. By this point the crowd unraveled into full motion, whether it was all the booze finally getting its money’s worth, or the Alberta raw garage-punkquartet’s overwhelming drive, or a good combination both, the atmosphere was irresistible and it was becoming nearly impossible to stand back idly. As the band unleashed its hook-laden set with catchy numbers like “Half-Wit” and “What’s Yer Diagnosis,” the mosh pit was borderline dangerously wild with crowd surfing and back-flips galore. The flagship piece “Mental Twist” proved to be a blast, overall making for a great, energetic set. On the down side, the sound suffered from a very rudimentary set-up, occasionally drowning out guitar solos and making lyrics unintelligible for the majority of the time. However, this proved to be no barrier for the unstoppable breed of garage-punk that sounded this night. Powerful choruses and footstomping beats compensated for a lack of crispness, and the completely down-to-earth feel of the Zoo Zhop proved to be a fitting setting for this type of madness, creating a very personal experience. The venue itself has some great potential, which it could realize with some investment into the sound system as well as a possible addition of a bar on-site. —Christian Voveris
Dean Wareham plays Galaxie 500 / the Shilohs November 15 / the Biltmore A blast from the past? To a certain extent, but there was something missing. Sitting around waiting for a show that started half an hour later than expected never helps an impression, but there seemed to be a certain air of confusion, a lack of preparation, or excitement in the crowd. It began when the curtains opened on local opening act the Shilohs, who were greeted with a good ten feet of empty floor space, forcing the frontman to crack a joke about a VIP section. They rolled through their set of indie-pop, encouraged by meager applause from a seemingly less than enthusiastic audience. They even attempted to increase
the feeling of nostalgia with a cover of the Feelies; the subsequent disappointment foreshadowed the main event to come. The curtains now opened on Dean Wareham, and again there was a slight pause before scattered whistles and cheers were heard. As he, his wife and two other band members began to glide through the classics, I couldn’t avoid a particular feeling of strain; I’m making an effort to convince myself that this is Galaxie 500, a band whom I assumed I would never be able to see. It’s been 20 years, isn’t this supposed to be special? But it wasn’t, and surrounding Wareham was the constant reminder that it just wasn’t quite the real thing. There certainly were highlights and plenty of positives. The sound was good; the guitars were mellow, simplistic yet beautiful; the progression of two or three basic chords which magically distinguished Galaxie 500—unique somehow in its simplicity—was certainly there, it all sounded fine. Even Wareham’s voice still sounded great, the high-pitched whines and prolonged drawls contrasted sharply with the low, nearly incomprehensible, grumble heard in a few offbeat comments in between songs (“It’s a windy night in Vancouver.” “This is a song about trees turning into mud and mud turning back into trees.”) “Snowstorm” took on a new life in the live setting; its beauty seemed accentuated outside the context of the original album. These were all good things, and the set list certainly covered the most crucial tracks, but “Flowers” was just “Flowers,” “Blue Thunder” was just “Blue Thunder” and “Tugboat” was just “Tugboat.” The expected atmosphere of revival, nostalgia and novelty was lacking for me. This realization of the artificiality and strain of the show was solidified after a lackluster return to the stage for the encore, concluding the show with their cover of Joy Division/New Order’s “Ceremony.” I wish the connection with Ian Curtis, or the feeling of being within Galaxie 500’s heyday had been imparted to me, but I left primarily in a state of disappointment, by virtue of not being a part of Dean Wareham’s golden years. —Andy Resto
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// CiTR 101.9 FM Charts STRICTLY THE DOPEST HITZ OF 2010 #
Artist
Album
Label
#
Artist
Album
Label
1
Apollo Ghosts *+
Mount Benson
Indie
51
Fond of Tigers*+
Continent & Western
Drip Audio
2
Women*
Public Strain
Flemish Eye
52
Eamon McGrath*+
Peace Maker
White Whale
3
The Pack A.D*+
We Kill Computers
Mint
53
The Black Keys
Brothers
Nonesuch
4
Caribou*
Swim
Merge
54
Old Man Luedecke*
My Hands ... Love Songs
Black Hen
5
Mark Sultan*
$
Vice
55
Overnight Lows
City of Rotten EyesLabel
Goner
6
Fanshaw*+
Dark Eyes
Mint
56
Dungen
Skit I Allt
Mexican Summer
7
Ahna*+
s/t
Broadway to Boundary 57
Grinderman
2
Epitaph
8
Defektors*+
The Bottom of the City
Nominal
58
Los Saicos
Demolicion! ... Recordings
Munster
9
Shane Turner Overdrive*+
s/t
Indie
59
Brasstronaut*+
Mt. Chimaera
Unfamilliar
10
Black Mountain*
Wilderness Heart
Jagjagwuar
60
Faux Amis*+
s/t
Indie
11
Nü Sensae*+
TV Death & the Devil
Nominal
61
Wavves
King of the Beach
Fat Possum
12
Rodney Decroo*+
Queen Mary Trash
Northern Elecrtic
62
The Mohawk Lodge*+
Crimes
White Whale
13
Petroleum By-Product*+
Superficial Artificial
Mona Mona
63
The Sadies*
Darker Circles
Yep Roc
14
Swans
My Father Will Guide Me…
Young God
64
Woods
At Echo Lake
Woodsist
15
Moon Duo
Escape
Woodist
65
Loscil*
Endless Halls
Kranky
16
Fan Death*+
A Coin For the Well EP
Last Gang
66
Sonny & the Sunsets
Tomorrow is Alright
Soft Abuse
17
Fine Mist*+
Public Domain
Indie
67
Sun Wizard*+
Maybe They Were Right
Indie
18
The Orpheans*+
Ellison’s Tomb Single/ Turn Out the Lights
Neptoon
68
The Besnard Lakes*
Are the Roaring Night
Jagjagwuar
19
Modern Creatures /Twin Crystals*+
Split EP
Nail in the Coffin
69
Kidnap Kids*+
You Would ... Ratboy Grave
Indie
20
White Lung*+
It’s the Evil
Deranged
70
Make Love*
s/t
Indie
21
The Molestics*+
A Farewell to Hokum
Indie
71
Jay Arner*+
Bird of Prey
Indie
22
New Pornographers*+
Together
Last Gang
72
Easy Star All Stars
Dubber Side of the Moon
Easy Star
23
Arcade Fire*
The Suburbs
Merge
73
Shi Yi*+
s/t
Holy Drakness
24
The Salteens*+
Grey Eyes
Boompa
74
The Vaselines
Sex With an X
Sub Pop
25
Sex Church*+
6 Songs by Sex Church
Convulsive
75
The Green Hour Band*+
Coming of Clockwise
Scratch
26
B.A. Johnston*
Thank You for Being a Friend
Just Friends
76
Tokyo Police Club*
Champ
Dine Alone
Modular
77
SSRIs*+
Effeminate ... Windchimes
Indie
HA4TLD
78
Various Artists
Next Stop...Soweto ... 1969-1976
Strut
Spincycle
79
The Telepathic Butterflies*
Wow & Flutter
Rainbow Quartz
27 28 29
Tame Impala Joey Only Outlaw Band* The Laundronauts*+
Innerspeaker Transgression Trail The Laundronauts Come Clean
30
Frog Eyes*
Paul’s Tomb: A Triumph
Dead Oceans
80
The Tallest Man On Earth
Wild Hunt
Dead Oceans
31
Various Artists
Flipper Psychout
Vampi Soul
81
Charlotte Gainsbourg
IRM
Because
32
The Summerlad*
Blue Skinned
Happy Apple
82
Love Is All
Two Thousand ... Injuries
Polyvinyl
33
Devils Hotrod*
Dirty Rocks For Broken Hearts
Stumble
83
Willowz
Everyone
Dim Mak
34
Various Artists*+
Hockey Dad Records Compilation
Hockey Dad
84
Sean Nicholas Savage*
Spread Free Like a Butterfly
Arbutus
35
Various Artists
Deep Wireless 7: Radio Art Compilation
New ... In Sound Art
85
Various Artists
Daptone Gold
Daptone
36
No Bunny
First Blood
Goner
86
Luke Doucet & the White Falcon*
Steel City Trawler
Six Shooter
37
Humans*+
s/t
Blood & Water
87
Sun Araw
Off Duty/ Boat Trip
Woodsist
38
Happy Birthday
s/t
Sub Pop
88
Library Voices*
Denim on Denim
Young Soul
39
The Nymphets*
Slow Song
Indie
89
The Radio Dept.
Clinging to a Scheme
Labrador
40
Crocodiles
Sleep Forever
Fat Possum
90
Spoon
Transference
Merge
Indie
91
The Black Angels
Phosphene Dream
Blue Horizon
Tomlab
92
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti
Before Today
4AD
Mint
93
Drive By Truckers
The Big To-Do
ATO
41 42 43
The Shilohs*+ Gigi*+ Hot Panda*
s/t Maintenant How Come I’m Dead?
44
Gorillaz
Plastic Beach
EMI
94
Hard Drugs*+
s/t
Stay Gold
45
Dum Dum Girls
I Will Be
Sub Pop
95
Deer Tick
The Black Dirt Sessions
Partisan
46
Fucked Up
Couple Tracks
Matador
96
Eddy Current Suppression Ring
Rush To Relax
Goner
47
Neil Young*
Le Noise
Reprise
97
Best Coast
Crazy For You
Mexican Summer
48
Ty Segall
Melted
Goner
98
If Then Do*
M70
Indie
49
Jonsi
Go
XL
99
Hellsongs*
Hymns in the Key of 666
Aporia
50
The Dreadnoughts*
Polka’s Not Dead
Stomp
100
Trentemøller
Into The Great Wide Yonder
In My Room
CiTR’s charts reflect what’s been played on the air by CiTR’s lovely DJs last month. Records with asterisks (*) are Canadian. Those with a plus (+) are local. Most of these excellent albums can be found at fine independent music stores across Vancouver. If you can’t find them, give CiTR’s music coordinator a shout at (604) 822-8733. His name is Luke Meat. If you ask nicely he’ll tell you how to find them. Check out other great campus/community radio charts at www. earshot-online.com.
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